Look into my Eyes
by TheCrazyS
Summary: SPR is back with their latest case, and it is dangerous! It does not help if you cant look for the ghost. In the midst of it all, love blossoms. But will they make it out alive, and sane?
1. Prologue

**AN: My first mystery-horror story! Hope you like it!**

**IMPORTANT: This is not part of my other oneshot series. So Naru and Mai are not together! But it is set after Naru comes back from England!**

**Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own Ghost Hunt.**

* * *

**Prologue**

* * *

_The man sighed as he worked on the useless elevator._

_The machinery had been giving him a lot of problems. No matter what he did, it refused to work. And it was brand new too._

_He looked down the corridor, waiting for his assistant to come back. He had sent the hopeless boy to get some water. It was the middle of summer, and the heat was unbearable. And it was not helping matters that they had to work in this dump._

_His boss had to take the contract of renovating this old, burned down mall. Their company had been getting fewer contracts, what with all the competition, and the boss had jumped at the offer when it came along. Now they had been working on it for a few weeks, but the place continued to give them trouble. Broken pipes that could not be repaired, machines that would not work, and all that shit._

_His assistant believed it was because the place was haunted._

_He scoffed. Granted, the place had history. But that did not mean there were ghosts around. It was all some stupid superstition. And his assistant was all the more stupid for believing in it. _

_He sighed again, and took out a cigarette and a lighter from his pocket. What was taking the boy so long?_

_He was about to flick the lighter on, when he heard a noise._

_His head snapped up, and he looked down the corridor. Footsteps, soft and light, was all he heard._

_It seems his good for nothing assistant had returned._

"_About time you got back! What took you so long?" He asked, frowning, and slightly relieved that he could finally have some water._

_There was no answer. But the footsteps continued._

_He squinted. The corridor was dark, with the overhead lights not helping much. It was a miracle the old, dust covered lights had been working. But they just started working on this part of the building, so the new lights had not been set up yet._

"_Yamamoto?" He asked again. He could not see who it was, but he surely heard the footsteps._

_He was about to walk down the corridor, when he saw her._

_A pale woman, with long black hair, that covered her eyes. Her head was bowed a little. She had on a dress that reached her knees, and was a colour of midnight blue._

_The woman was beautiful._

"_Miss? What are you doing here? This is a construction site, it is dangerous." He said, starting to walk towards her. Surely, he did not mind looking at her. But if the boss found out that a non-worker had gained entry into the construction site, there would be hell to pay._

_So he would have to escort her out. How fun._

"_Are you lost? I will take you back. Miss?" He stopped, when he saw her raise her head._

_And his heart jumped, when he saw her eyes._

_Brilliant red eyes. Beautiful red eyes._

_And he was lost._

_He could not move, could not speak. He just stood there, looking into her eyes._

_Then she smiled, and raised a pale hand to beckon him._

"_Follow me." A soft whisper. And he felt himself move. She turned around, and started walking down one corridor to next, and he followed._

_He followed till they reached the terrace of the building. Till they were standing close to the edge._

_He knew in his mind that something was wrong. That he should run, shout for help, do something! He struggled to move his body, to step away from the edge, from her. But if was futile._

_He could not move. He could only stand there, and look at her._

_She looked at the night sky beyond, and then she turned to him._

_The smile she gave him was truly evil._

"_Jump."_

_No. No. NO! He wanted to scream, to struggle free, but could do nothing and only watch in panic as he felt himself follow her command, and shift closer to the edge._

_And he could do nothing, as he jumped, and plummeted down to his death._

_And the last thing he saw were her eyes._

_Beautiful red eyes._

* * *

**Okay! That was the prologue!**

**Short, I know!**

**But the mystery continues, and SPR will be on the case in next chapter.**

**Though updates will be slow (I blame college!).**

**Ciao!**


	2. The New Case

**AN: Here's the second chapter!**

**I could update so soon only because I had a holiday today (lucky!).**

**Don't expect it to happen again and again though...**

**Enjoy!**

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**The New Case**

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**May 24, Friday, 2.00 PM**

Mai Taniyama sighed as she tried to think up of things to write for her essay.

But came up empty.

She glared at the offending piece of paper. She had just started university, and had chosen psychology, history, and science as the subjects for the first year.

It was fun, and the subjects were interesting. Plus, the professors were understanding, and did not give much them homework.

Except occasionally, like today.

She did not mind it much. She had already finished with her psychology and science essays, only history was left.

'_Describe, in your opinion, to what extent did Adolf Hitler consider his treatment of the Jewish people as justified, and why.'_

Really, his treatment of those innocent people wasn't justified at all, but she had to explain it in not less than a 1000 words.

She had no idea how to start, let alone what to write. And it did not help matters that some of her subject credit depended on this blasted essay.

It was an off day for her.

She sighed again, and pushed the paper away. She did not have to submit it till next Thursday. So she decided she would start on it tomorrow. Today, she will relax, clear her head.

She put her head on the table.

No, she wasn't going to sleep. Her boss would raise hell, if she did.

He did not mind it when she slept on cases, as it proved useful to them. Her dreams helped them to understand the reason behind a particular haunting, and decide on a course of action.

Atleast, she was useful. Even if it meant she had to sleep on the job.

Not that she was complaining.

Speaking of her boss, she looked at the clock. It had been two hours now since she had last made him tea, and he had not asked for it again. Normally, he would be shouting for it every hour or so. Was something wrong?

She snorted. Here she was, worrying about her boss, and what lack of his precious tea would do to him. The Narcissist really needed to get a lid on his addiction for tea, or it would be his downfall.

Mai imagined how he would behave if he suffered from tea withdrawal, and giggled.

It would be funny to watch, that's for sure.

She glanced at his door, hoping he hadn't heard her. If he got any indication that she was having fun and not doing her work, he would come out of his lair, insult her, and ruin her mood.

She knew he loved it when she suffered.

Though work had become more fun since Yasuhara had joined. His snarky remarks and weird plans to prank the boss and Lin-san always made her day.

She knew she loved it when Naru suffered. It was tit for tat, really.

Aah, she was thinking of her boss again.

Dang it!

After Naru had left for England, she had been shattered. Mostly because of how her confession had gone.

Disastrous. That was the only word to explain it.

She had known there was really a little hope of him having any feelings for her. If he did, she knew it would be a miracle. But even so, she had confessed. She had only wanted to convey her feelings, whether he responded to them or not. She could no longer go on hiding her feelings, especially when he was going to return to England. She could not go on, not knowing what could have been.

But instead of just accepting her confession and politely rejecting her, the jerk had doubted her feelings, and made her doubt them herself.

"_Me or Gene?_"

Really, she had been shocked. But then, she had thought that maybe he was right, he was a genius afterall. Maybe she was projecting her feelings for the dead twin onto the living, breathing twin.

She had then felt guilty. She knew how much it would have hurt Naru, to be compared to his brother, and to be sought as a replacement for him.

She had wanted to apologize, but could not find the courage. When she had returned to the office, to help pack, he had behaved as if nothing happened. And before going back, he had given her the picture of him and Gene when they had been young.

The picture that now sat at her desk at home.

She had cried every night for a week after he had left. And slowly, it dawned upon her that she was not mourning Gene, but she was crying because she missed Naru.

In the end, she realised it was Naru that she loved.

She had been angry then, at the boy. Because he could not face her feelings for him, he had concluded that she loved Gene, so that Naru wouldn't have to go to the trouble of breaking a girl's heart.

He was a coward, nothing else.

Her anger had helped her make the resolution of forgetting about the jerk, and finding a new, better love.

And Masako had helped her with it.

After Naru had left, she had become close with Masako. Mostly because both had been in love with the narcissist, and both had been hurt by his abrupt departure. After a week of complaining and degrading the boy, they had decided to find new love, and show the excuse of a human being (Naru, of course) that they could do better than him.

So, Mai had started dating her classmate from school. He was cute, and friendly, and had paid a lot of attention to her. But the flame had run out after two weeks.

"_I don't know Mai, but I feel like you are holding back. Like you are not enjoying this relationship._"

That had been his excuse for breaking up.

When she had told Masako, she had just made a face, and vowed to find someone for Mai.

Not a week later, Masako had introduced her to one of her co-workers. And he was _hot_. Mai had been happy, he had proved to be a wonderful boyfriend. Gifts, dinners, movies, and what not. But that too had lasted only for a month.

He had fallen in love with someone else.

Cheh.

Masako had tried dating too, but without results. Then she had stopped trying altogether. When Mai had asked her why, she had just blushed and told her that she was in love with someone.

After much prodding, and threatening, Mai learned who it was.

Their priest, John Brown.

Mai had been happy for her friend. Masako confessed too that what she had felt for Naru was nothing compared to what she felt for John. But she did not know if the priest would accept her feelings.

There had been no progress in their relationship since then, seeing as Masako refused to confess.

Then, her nightmare from England had to return, not three months later.

Mai and the other SPR regulars had continued to work under Madoka. So when she dropped the bomb, everyone had rejoiced, except Mai.

And she had finally been feeling like she could move on.

Masako had sympathized with her. But had been against Mai's idea of finding another job. She had told Mai it would seem like she was running away, and that would make the Narcissist smug.

That had been enough to stop Mai.

When he finally arrived, he had greeted them in the same arrogant way. And behaved with her as same as before. And demanded for tea.

So she too had decided she would act like nothing happened. She would work for him, and continue to find another love.

Not that that had been easy.

And it did not help that in all 18 years of her life, she had only dated twice.

She sighed again. She so wished there was a new case, just so she could distract herself.

She got up from her chair, and stretched. Then she walked to the window, and looked out. It was a beautiful, sunny, summer day. Though it was hot outside, she was quite comfortable in the office as the air conditioner was on. Such joys of working for a rich boss.

"I do not pay you to stare out the window."

Speak of the devil.

"I know. I was bored." Mai said, and turned to look at him.

"There is plenty of work to make yourself busy with." Naru said, as he walked to her desk, and patted a pile of papers sitting there.

"I can see that. Work is boring." She said, leaning against the window pane, something she had picked up from her boss.

"Oh? That does not mean you can ignore work."

She glared at him. She wanted to scream at him, and tell him where he could put his work, but he signed her pay checks, and she needed the money.

"Fine." She said, and moved to her desk.

"But first tea." The Narcissist smirked at her.

Oh, how she wanted to _rip_ that arrogant smirk off of his _pretty _face.

She glared again.

"It is a part of your job." Her boss politely pointed out, but the smirk remained in place.

Damn it! Where was Yasuhara when you needed him? He would have been able to make a comment that would have made her snicker, and would have made the boss scowl. But he was busy with extra classes today, so it was her bad luck.

"Of course, sir. Anything you say, sir." She said through gritted teeth, and started moving towards the kitchen.

"It's a good thing you know when to show respect to your superiors. Atleast, you are smart enough to know that. And to say I had lost all hope."

_That's it!_

She was about to punch him right in his arrogant face, when the front door opened.

"Excuse me. Are you open today?" A man, probably in his late thirties, asked as he opened the door.

Immediately, Mai calmed down and put on her business smile.

"Of course! Please come in."

"Thank you." The man said, relieved. Then he entered the office, and was followed by another man, who seemed young, probably in his early twenties.

"Please sit down here. I will get some tea. Meanwhile, here is the boss." Mai said, and pointed to Naru.

He glared at her, but then turned to the two men, and bowed a little. Then he sat down opposite them on the couch.

The two men looked at him surprised. Mai supposed they would be. Naru, even though he was 19, was considered too young to run a business by many, almost all clients that they got. Though his glare and cold attitude made sure that they did not comment on it.

Mai then went to the kitchen, to make tea. Most clients they received would be shaken up by the paranormal activities happening around them, and so she made tea to calm them. It always worked.

She returned after five minutes, and placed a cup in front of the three men. Then she took a cup for herself, and sat down beside Naru on the couch. She was surprised he had waited for her to return before they started. Lin-san was out for the day, so it was only the two of them.

"My name is Kazuya Shibuya. And this is my assistant, Mai Taniyama. How may we help you?"

"Ah yes. I am Jirou Kaji, and this is Matsu Yamamoto", the older man started, "We are here with a case request."

"Please start from the beginning."

"Well, I run a construction company. And recently, we have been given a contract to renovate an old mall. It was burned down about 20 years ago, and now they want to restore it. We have been working for three weeks now, and things have started happening..." Mr. Kaji trailed off, and looked at Mr. Yamamoto, who nodded, encouraging him to continue.

"Please continue." Naru said, and scribbled in his notebook.

"From the beginning the place has been giving us problems. The pipes we would repair would again break. Then the machinery would stop working, even if it is brand new. And we had stacked mirrors in one of the rooms we had finished cleaning, but the next day, all the mirrors had been blackened, as if they were covered in soot. We cleaned them, and put them in another room, but the next day the same thing happened. And there have also been reports from my men that they hear a woman's voice. We have checked many times, but couldn't find anything. Then there have been rattling sounds. And the windows on all floors would be open when we arrived at work in the morning, even though the night before each and every one of them had been closed properly."

"Are you sure that it is not a prank? Perhaps some kids are doing this." Naru asked. It seemed as if nothing they had said yet had piqued his interest.

"No. The site is properly sealed off. And we have a guard at the entry gate at all times", Mr. Yamamoto said.

"We also have a camera at the entrance. So we can keep an eye on all those who enter", Mr. Kaji added.

"Hmm. Anything else?"

The two men looked at each other. Then Mr. Yamamoto turned to them.

"My boss died the day before yesterday. He jumped from the terrace of the mall."

Mai gasped.

"He committed suicide?" Naru asked.

"NO! He could not! Mr. Nashi was not the type to do anything like that! It was so sudden! We had been working on an elevator that refused to work, and it was midday. So Mr. Nashi asked me to get some water, as it was hot. Then, after 10 minutes when I returned, he was not there. I looked around but could not find him. Then I heard footsteps from the floor above. So I checked and saw Mr. Nashi on the third floor, going up on the stairs. I called after him, but he did not answer. I followed him, ran up the stairs, all the while calling out to him, but he did not turn even once. He went up to the terrace. As I reached there, I saw him standing near the edge, looking at his side. I was about to call him again, when he just turned and jumped off..." Mr. Yamamoto now had tears in his eyes, "I could do nothing. And before I could run back down, I heard a woman's laughter. I looked around but no one was there."

Mr. Yamamoto was now trembling, "And the laugh was truly evil."

Mai pitied the man. He had to watch his boss die.

Mr. Kaji put a hand on the terrified man's shoulder.

"And the most weird thing of all were Nashi's eyes", Mr. Kaji continued, "When we found him, his eyes were open, and they were blood red in colour. And for a man who jumped, he had a look of complete calm on his face. Like he had been sleeping with his eyes open. And the next morning, the mirrors were completely broken."

Naru assumed his thinking position, with one arm around his torso, and other propping up his chin. Mai knew he was intrigued now.

"Please help us! The other workers have refused to work there now! And with what happened, even I am afraid to go there! Please!" Mr. Kaji begged.

Naru thought for a while, and Mai observed him. She knew if this were truly a suicide case, then there was nothing for them to do. But the clients looked convinced that it was not so, and were truly terrified.

Then her boss sighed. He looked at the men.

"We will take your case. Please leave your contact information and address with my assistant. We will need a large room with lots of sockets, and three rooms to use as sleeping quarters. Please make sure there is electricity and water."

He then looked at her. "Mai, inform the others. Tell them to be here at 7 am sharp the day after tomorrow."

With that he turned around and walked back to his office.

"Thank you!" The two men seemed relieved.

Mai smiled at them, and went to her desk to get a note pad and pen. Then she passed both to Mr. Kaji, who wrote down the necessary information.

The men then bowed, thanked her, and shuffled out of the door.

Mai sighed. Atleast she got her wish. They had a case now.

But that meant no time for her essay.

She shrugged. She will take it on the case with her. She did not understand why Naru took the case, it did not seem like paranormal to her. Maybe he took it because he was bored. They had not gotten a case for a few weeks now.

Oh well. Time to inform the others.

* * *

**Aaaaaaah! Finished!**

**Hmm... I think this is all confusing...**

**I will make it interesting from next chapter though (or try to).**

**Ciao!**


	3. First Attack

**AN: I am back with the third chapter!**

**Thank you all for your reviews! And as I said in chapter first, this is not a part of Comforting Mai series!**

**Enjoy!**

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**First Attack**

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**May 26, Sunday, 7.05 AM**

Oliver Davis glared at the clock.

She was late. Five minutes late and counting.

He should have gotten used to it by now. But still every time it happened, it got on his nerves.

And it was not helping matters that the other SPR regulars were making a ruckus in the main office. They had all been on time.

And Mai was late.

Oliver glared at the clock again.

He knew his impatience was more because he did not know if something had happened to his assistant, rather than the fact that she was late for _work._

He was in love with her after all.

He sighed.

Yes, the great Oliver Davis was admitting it, that he had fallen hard. And it was all the more possible, seeing as the person he had fallen for was Mai, his bubbly assistant, who had the entire office (and more so, him) wrapped around her little finger. He had fallen in love since the day he had met her, but had realized so only after the Urado case. But till then, it was too late. He could no longer suppress those feelings, but could only watch as they increased in intensity. He was too far gone, and he had not regretted it.

He was completely, irrevocably, in love with Mai.

And it was the reason he had returned.

After he had buried his twin back home, Oliver had thrown himself into work. Anything to distract him. Anything to make it impossible for him to remember her, or her confession.

Her confession that he _knew_ was meant for Gene. She had just, in her grief, projected her feelings for Gene onto him. After all, Oliver was not the one who had been smiling at her in her dreams, who had been helping her, who was kind to her. It was all Gene.

So, of course she was in love with the older twin. After all, he was somebody people could love and care for.

And Oliver was the exact opposite.

He was not the romantic type. Even if he loved her, he was not going to be those overly lovey-dovey boyfriends. He could not bring himself to act that way. He was a methodical, cold, calculative man. He was passionate, yes, but that was not enough for someone to fall in love with him. And didn't she always say he was a narcissist?

When he had found out that she dreamt of Gene, he had been jealous. The one person he loved, cared for, more than himself, and his twin had to take her away. But he could not bring himself to hate Gene, or Mai. He loved them both very much. And somehow he understood the pain they both would feel, not being able to be with the one they love, with each other.

But when Mai confessed, for a moment, he thought about believing it, accepting it, kissing her senseless. But he could not use her feelings like that, he could not bring himself to hurt her like that.

So he had harshly reminded her that it was Gene she loved, by asking her the dreaded question.

'_Me or Gene?_'

He had not waited to listen to her answer, he did not have the courage. He had known she would choose Gene, and Oliver would be hurt all over again.

So he had left.

Before going back to England, he had given her the picture of him and Gene, when they were young. It was the only thing he could do, as an apology for his behaviour earlier. And he knew Mai would be happy to have Gene close, even if it was just a picture.

After returning home, he had worked himself to death (figuratively, of course. He was not suicidal). He made sure he was always working so that he did not have time to miss her, and was so tired at the end of the day, that he slept without having dreams of her. It had worked too, for two months, before it finally caught up to him.

He was falling even more in love with Mai, even after being apart from her.

He missed her, and it did not help that the tea he had to drink there was horrible.

He had given up then, on trying to forget her and move on. Apparently, he was the type who fell in love only once, and it was forever.

It had taken one more month of missing her, and a few threats from his mother, for him to come back to Japan.

"_Oliver Davis! If you do not get your bloody ass back to Japan this instant, I will fill your room with Mai's pictures, and lock you up there till you break down to a blubbering, crying mess!_"

He truly believed his mother was capable of that. But no, he would not break down, not that easily.

Apparently, Lin, Madoka and Luella had been gossiping. That would explain why his mother knew of his feelings for Mai. And how she believed Mai was perfect for her little Ollie (her words, not his!).

Oliver, then, had decided he would fight for her. Gene was no longer here, and Oliver would not feel guilty about stealing Mai away from him. He wanted to make Mai happy, and he knew Gene wouldn't begrudge him that.

He will make her fall in love with him.

With the decision made, he had been more than ready to jump on the next plane to Japan.

He had informed Madoka, who had been managing the Japan SPR, of his decision to come back. She had been happy and excited, and even suggested at knowing why he was doing this.

He had merely said there was more interesting paranormal activity in Japan.

He hadn't fooled anybody.

Except Mai.

After he had returned, he had felt relieved. He had missed Mai, yes, but he had also missed the hubble bubble of SPR regulars (though only a little). He could admit that he considered them as his friends.

But seeing Mai again had been the most wonderful.

She had not changed much. Her hair was a little longer, she was a little taller. But her fiery nature was the same.

They had both fallen back to their similar pattern. Tea and teasing.

Ah, how pleasant his life was.

Thinking of tea made him look at the clock again.

_7.10 AM_

His eyes narrowed. Where was the girl? Had something happe...

"Naru! I am sorry I am late! My alarm didn't go off!"

Never mind.

A chorus of good mornings went around as the SPR regulars greeted her. Oliver got up from his chair and opened his office door.

"You should get a new alarm clock. Now hurry up. We are late as it is. We have to reach the site soon..."

"But Naru-bou! You did not tell us anything about the case!" Bou-san interrupted, and pouted at Oliver.

Oliver glared, "You will know once we reach there. Now get moving!"

Everyone got up fast, and were out of the door before the boss could get angry again. But as Mai moved to follow them, he called to her.

"Mai, Tea."

"Aren't we getting late Naru?" She said, and looked at him with a smirk on her face.

Oliver opened his mouth to answer back, but he knew she was right. Plus, that smirk made her look so appealing.

Did he mention that Mai had become _smarter_ in the time he had been away?

Well, atleast smarter when it came to him. And his teasing.

"Hmm. Fine. Let's go."

"Yes!"

* * *

Lin was amused as he looked at the two sulking teenagers.

Noll was sitting in the passenger seat, and Hara-san was sitting in the back seat, both glaring out of the van window.

How this situation came about was funny too.

After all had arrived at the office (especially the always late Mai), it hadn't taken them long to get ready to leave. But when the question of seating arrangement arose, all hell broke loose.

"Mai, you will be sitting with us in the van." Noll had simply declared.

"No." Mai had been quite adamant. Noll was surprised, and Lin admitted, so was he. Mai had never before refused to travel with them in the van, so it was quite shocking.

"No?" Noll was getting impatient.

"Yes. I mean no...I mean I am not going to travel in the van."

"Mai..."

But she had turned away from Noll and simply started walking towards Bou-san's car.

"Yay! Jou-chan will go with us!" Bou-san had excitedly exclaimed from the driver seat, Matsuzaki-san next to him on the passenger seat, checking her make up in the rear view mirror.

"Mai, where will I sit then?" Hara-san had asked her, her sleeve hiding half her face, and her indignation. Apparently, the absence of their priest had made her grumpy (yes, Lin knew Hara-san liked John, if the looks she gave him when the SPR regulars gathered was any indication, and besides, nothing could be hidden from him).

The back seat of Bou-san's car had place left only for one passenger, as the rest of the space was occupied by Matsuzaki-san's numerous bags.

Mai had sighed but then brightened.

"Let's decide by rock paper scissors!"

"Mai! Stop wasting time, and just get in the van." Noll was not going to give up (Lin knew the lover boy wanted Mai in the van so that he could keep an eye on her, and watch her when she fell asleep).

Mai had just ignored him, and faced Hara-san, who had reluctantly agreed to play the game.

Hara-san had lost, and Noll had been livid.

But nothing had affected Mai, and she had happily skipped to Bou-san's car and slid in.

"Aren't we getting late Naru?" The girl had then coyly asked the boss.

Both Noll and Hara-san had glared at her and stomped to the van. Since then they had been glaring, and nobody spoke a word.

Lin chuckled at the memory, but covered it with a cough when the two teens' glare turned on him.

How amusing.

* * *

**May 26, Sunday, 9.30 AM**

"Woah..." was all Mai could say as she looked at the building in front of her.

"Agreed." Masako too looked at the building as she stood next to her.

"What's with this place? It gives me the creeps!" Ayako said as she climbed out of the car.

"I didn't think an old woman could get the creeps!" Bou-san commented.

"Why you...!"

Mai shook her head at the idiots fighting, and focussed again on the building.

It was not at all beautiful like the few other places they had gone to for cases. It was just old, and burned.

The building was four storey high, and a perfect rectangle. There were numerous windows, and a main door which was big enough to allow a throng of people in at one time. The colour on the outer wall was faded, and at places it was still covered in soot, which was a reminder of the fire that destroyed the building. There was a dried up fountain a few meters away from the front door.

All in all, the place was in dumps.

No wonder people were trying to restore it to something more appealing. And to think, it had once been a mall!

_She_ wouldn't want to shop in a place like this.

"Mai, stop wasting time, and get to work." Her boss snapped, and she turned to look at him.

"Are you sure this is the place Naru?" Mai asked, jerking a thumb back at the building.

"Yes." He answered in a clipped tone, and started walking towards the main door, which was open. Yamamoto-san was standing there, and relief was evident in his form. He had probably thought they wouldn't come.

"Shibuya-san, thank you so much for coming! I apologize on behalf of Kaji-san, he is busy at the moment. But he will be along to greet you as soon as he can." Yamamoto-san said as he walked forward to meet Naru halfway, and shook his hand.

"That's alright. Have you made the necessary arrangements?"

"Yes. If you will follow me please, I will show you the way."

"Thank you." The boss then turned to them, "Bou-san, Matsuzaki-san, stop acting like children. Matsuzaki-san and Hara-san, do a preliminary run in and around the building. See if you can feel anything. Yamamoto-san will guide you to the base later. Bou-san, start unpacking. Mai, Lin, follow me."

Everybody snapped to attention, and nodded.

The case had begun.

* * *

"Aaaaaah! So tired!" Mai stretched a little and then slumped on the couch that had been placed in the base.

She had just finished bringing in the equipment and setting it up. Granted, she had help (Lin-san and Bou-san), but it was still hard work climbing two flights of stairs again and again, that too with heavy objects!

Bou-san sat down next to her and rested his head on the back rest.

"It's so hot outside!"

"I agree." Ayako said as she and Masako entered the room, "Though it's comfortable here."

Mai looked around the base. Kaji-san and Yamamoto-san had outdone themselves. They had cleaned up the rooms SPR would be using, and the bathrooms on this floor. They had chosen a room on the third floor because the workers were not yet working this far. So they wouldn't get in the way of the investigation. They had even furnished the rooms, albeit scantily. There was a couch, a few tables, a stove and a few utensils in the base. They had arranged futons in the other rooms, where the SPR would be sleeping. The electricity and water were running perfectly. And as an added measure, they had even installed air coolers in the rooms. Even if it was a construction site, the SPR members wouldn't lack basic comforts.

Mai had been thankful for their consideration.

Naru was checking the monitors, and Lin-san was typing on his laptop.

"Naru, when will John-san and Yasuhara-san arrive?" Mai asked.

"Yasuhara-san will arrive tomorrow with all the information he can gather on this place. John should arrive soon."

That made Masako light up.

Mai giggled and was about to tease the medium, when Naru interrupted.

"Mai, Tea."

* * *

John Brown looked at the building in front of him.

Was this really the place?

He looked around, and saw the SPR van and Bou-san's car parked in front of the building.

It seems this was the place.

He sighed and walked towards the entrance. John could not come with the others, as he had been in Kyoto, and had told Oliver that he would be arriving directly at the site.

He wondered who all had arrived already.

The medium popped into his head.

John blushed, and shook his head to clear the thoughts. Hara-san would not look at him that way. She was in love with Oliver, even though it was wasted. He smiled as he thought of Mai-san and the boss. They were the two most stubborn people in the world.

He looked around again. Lost in his musings, he had already entered the building. Now to search for the base.

He searched for anybody who could guide him, but nobody was around. The place was too silent. He started moving towards the staircase.

That is when he heard footsteps.

John spun around. There was someone coming his way, from the opposite side. He sighed in relief.

"Excuse me. Could you tell me where the SPR members are?" He asked and started walking in the direction the footsteps came from, but there was no reply.

He frowned.

"Excuse m..." He was about to call out again, when he saw the person walking towards him. It was a woman, her head was bowed, and she was wearing a blue dress. Such an odd clothing for a construction worker.

"Hello miss. Can you help me?" John asked again, and smiled at her. Yet he did not receive a reply.

"Miss? Are you alright?" He asked, and took a few step towards her, but stopped when she raised her head.

He froze when his eyes met hers.

Beautiful red eyes.

* * *

**Done!**

**And a cliffie too!**

**Poor John, the first one to get in trouble! And here we thought it was Mai's job...**

**Anyhoo, in the next chapter I will reveal the history of the place, and something about the ghost too. So the story will probably make some sense after that.**

**So stay tuned for more!**

**Ciao.**


	4. Trouble Again

**AN: Here's the next chapter! **

**Thank you all for your reviews!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Trouble Again**

* * *

**May 26 – First Day of Investigation**

Oliver looked around at the assembled team while he sipped on his tea. He had not yet told them anything about the case, and so, as usual without any work to do, they were making a ruckus.

Well, not exactly.

They were all sprawled around the couch, talking, occasionally teasing, and laughing at the antics of the monk and miko. Bou-san and Matsuzaki-san had started yet another fight (about something trivial, as always), and Mai was laughing at them, egging them on. Hara-san was sitting on the couch, and would occasionally take part in the conversation. Her eyes mostly wandered to the door of the room, no doubt waiting for the priest to appear (yes, Oliver knew about Hara-san's feelings. Lin had told him, and Oliver had been relieved. Atleast the medium wouldn't stick to him anymore). Even Lin was sitting at a table close to the group, still typing, but now and then he would answer a question or laugh.

The only members missing were Yasuhara-san and John.

Oliver had instructed Yasuhara-san to collect information on this place and arrive here the next day. John was supposed to come today, but there was still no sign of him.

He checked his watch. The priest should be here by now.

He sighed as he placed the now empty cup on the table. Oliver hoped John would get here soon, so that he could explain the case to his team, and start the investigation. He did not want to explain everything twice.

His eyes wandered to Mai, as she sat there laughing and poking Bou-san. He was still irritated with what she had pulled earlier, out-right refusing him when he told her to get in the van. And she had been so desperate to get away, she had even risked making the medium angry. She had never before refused the van. It was as if she was trying to distance herself from him. It was subtle, and floppily covered with teasing, but Oliver was no fool.

He felt angry all of a sudden.

This would make things difficult for him. He had planned on beginning his wooing of Mai after this case was over. Would it be too late by then?

He glanced at Mai again, and decided he would not waste any more time.

...But how should he proceed?

"Ouch! You unruly old lady! What was that for!?" Bou-san shouted.

"You know what for! You fake monk!" Matsuzaki-san shouted back.

Oliver massaged his temples. They were getting on his nerves now. And he was getting a headache.

He abruptly got up and made his way to the couch.

"That is enough. You both should act your age. We are here for a case, not for fun."

"But Naru-bou, atleast tell us about the case!"

Oliver glared at the monk, who gulped and looked away.

"I will tell you as soon as John arrives." Then he turned to the medium, "Hara-san, did you feel anything when you made your earlier rounds?"

She slowly shook her head, "I don't know. There is something, but it's vague. I will have to concentrate more."

Oliver nodded. Well, atleast there was a hope of this being a genuine haunting. He was about to ask Mai to get him tea, when the door opened, and Kaji-san entered.

"Ah! I see you have arrived. I apologize for not greeting you earlier. I had to look over some papers." Kaji-san said as he shook Oliver's hand.

"That is alright. This is my team that will be investigating with me. You remember my assistant Mai, this is my other assistant Lin, this is Takigawa-san, Matsuzaki-san and Hara-san." He introduced them in turn, and they shook hands with Kaji-san.

"Thank you all for coming here! But...", he looked around the room, and then back at Oliver, "There should be one more person, right?"

Oliver looked at him confused, "What do you mean?"

"Well, as you know, there is a camera at the entrance. I saw someone enter some time earlier, and assumed he was a part of your team."

"Nobody has been here."

"Oh? Well, must be a vagrant then. Dang! Now I will have to look for him and throw him out." Kaji-san huffed angrily, "Really, should have known! What, with his blonde hair, I should have realized he was a delinquent."

Oliver eyes widened, and the others gasped.

"Was he wearing priest robes?" Hara-san asked the man, as her eyes lit up.

Kaji-san thought for a moment, "Yeah... Yes! He was. How did you know?"

"He is a part of our team." Mai answered. Then she asked, "How long ago did you see him?"

"About 10 minutes ago. He should have been here by now."

"Eh? Is he lost?" Bou-san said as he took out his phone, "I will call him, and tell him where to come."

Oliver nodded, and turned to Kaji-san, "Have there been any incidents since the day you came to us?"

"No. Everything's been quite. Though the workers were still a little disturbed from... well you know, so I gave them a few days off. They should arrive to start work again tomorrow."

"Good. I would like to interview them."

"Sure. Whatever you need." He then turned to Bou-san, "Did your teammate pick up yet?"

Bou-san sighed as he put the phone down, "No. The call is not going through."

"But cell phones work perfectly in this area. There is a tower only half a mile away." Kaji-san said, confusion evident in his voice.

Oliver looked at his watch again. "Perhaps his phone is not working. We have wasted enough time. Mai, go with Hara-san and Bou-san to look for John. Matsuzaki-san, go with Kaji-san and get all the videos from the entrance camera. We will need it for the investigation." He then turned around to go back to his chair, and sat down with his black notebook in hand, "Kaji-san, I will need the names of all your employees, please get a list ready."

Kaji-san nodded, and followed the others as they exited the room.

Oliver sighed again. He did not like having no eyes around the site. But the cameras had not been set up yet, so he would have to deal with it. It would have been easy to find John if the cameras were already set up.

But he had not known they would have a team member lost so soon. Usually, it was Mai who got into such sort of troubles.

The thought of the brunette made him sigh again.

"Noll," Lin said, looking up from his laptop, "Are you still angry with what happened with the van and Mai?"

Oliver glared at the older man, "Shut up, Lin."

The onmyoji chuckled.

Really! Children.

* * *

Mai glanced at the medium as she walked beside her.

Masako was looking happy. Even though she had covered half her face with her sleeve, her eyes held a pleasant light as they darted here and there in search of the priest.

She was in love. Mai could somehow relate.

It was not that long ago, that her eyes too went searching for the narcissist, even if he was right there in the room with her. If she was being honest, she had yet not lost that habit completely. She had it under control, yes, but sometimes when she was lost in thoughts, she found herself seeking her boss.

Even after she had decided to give up.

...How long ago was that now?

Mai shook her head. She had known it was going to be difficult to move on. She had to be patient. If she had fallen out of love almost immediately after he left, that would have meant she had not truly loved him.

True love bought happiness, but it also bought suffering.

Mai sighed, her thoughts had taken a poetic turn. Really, the things love made you do.

"Jou-chan, why the long sighs, eh?" Bou-san asked her from her right, ruffling her hair, and snickering at her outraged face.

"Bou-san! Not the hair!" She glared at him, and patted her hair to bring back atleast some semblance of its original form.

"Yes yes. Now tell me!"

"It probably has something to do with Naru, as always." The medium answered him, her eyes still forward.

Mai blushed, and that convinced Bou-san that Masako was right.

"Ooooh! Mai and Naru sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-"

"Bou-san!" Mai shouted, flushing a brilliant red, and punching him on the arm.

"Ouch! What was that for? I swear, you are worse than Ayako!"

"It was your fault!" She shouted, and then turned towards the medium, "And you are in no position to say anything Masako! We both know why you are so eager right now to set your eyes on John!"

Masako whipped around, and blushed, "Mai, you were supposed to keep it a secret!"

"Oh please, Masako. We all already know." Bou-san said, rolling his eyes, "You were not exactly subtle in your actions, you know! It was evident from day one. Well, except to John, I guess."

The medium flushed again, and looked away, "Whatever."

Mai giggled, and put an arm around her friend to give her a side hug, "Aww! Masako, you are so cute!"

Masako glared at the troublesome girl, but made no move to push her away.

Mai was about to tease her again, when Bou-san interrupted, "Eh? John?"

Both the girls looked at him, and then followed his gaze. And surely, at the end of the corridor, they saw John walking away from where they were standing. He seemed to have not noticed them.

"Oi! John! Over here!" Bou-san shouted to get the priest's attention, but John kept on walking. They were currently on the fourth floor, and the priest seemed to be walking towards the stairs at the end of the corridor, which led to the terrace.

"John!" Mai shouted too, but in vain.

"Something is not right." Bou-san frowned, and was about to walk forward, when Masako dashed past him to get to the priest.

"Masako! Wait!" Mai shouted, as she and Bou-san ran after the medium.

John seemed to be walking at a leisurely pace, because Masako reached him in a few moments without difficulty, even when she was wearing a kimono.

"John-san! Are you alright?" Masako said, panting, and raised a hand to touch his shoulder.

The priest stopped, and slowly turned around.

Masako gasped when she saw his eyes. They were blood red.

But before she could say anything, the priest's hands were around her throat.

* * *

John could not move.

Well, atleast not on his own.

He could do nothing, nor speak, as he followed the mysterious woman down one corridor to next, one flight of stairs to another. One moment, he was asking this woman for help, and the next he was following her.

He could not even turn his around to look around. The only thing he could move was his eyes, and he used them to take in his surroundings as much as he could.

He was currently on the fourth floor, if he had counted the flight of stairs correctly. But there was no sign of them stopping.

"Oi! John! Over here!"

John mentally rejoiced when he heard Bou-san's voice. Somebody had found him. But he found himself enable to respond back.

"John!" He heard Mai-san too, but could do nothing. The woman in front of him continued walking, it seemed she had not heard them.

And it seemed his friends had not seen the woman either.

Oh dear.

"Masako! Wait!" The medium was here too. He wanted to turn his head, to look at her, seek her out, but again he failed.

"John-san! Are you alright?" Hara-san had reached him, and she put a hand on his shoulder.

He was relieved when he stopped moving. But when he looked up, he felt himself panic. The woman was now looking at him again, with those eyes, and she had a sinister smile on her face. John suddenly got a bad feeling.

"Kill her." She said in a soft voice, and immediately John felt himself move.

No! He could not kill her. John fought tooth and nail to get his control back, but to no avail. He could only watch in desperation, as he turned and wrapped his hands around the medium's throat.

Hara-san looked at him, fear in her eyes. He applied pressure, and she started choking.

He could only pray that someone could get here in time.

* * *

Mai felt relieved when Masako reached John, and he stopped. But her instincts were going crazy, and she knew there was something very wrong.

She was proved right, when Masako gasped as the priest turned around, and he wrapped his hands around the medium's throat, choking her.

Mai almost stumbled when she saw his eyes. Beautiful red eyes.

"Naumaku Sanmanda Bazaradan Kan." Bou-san had already started chanting.

It proved to be effective, as John's eyes suddenly closed, and he slumped down. The medium caught him before he could hit the floor, and she herself slumped under his weight.

"John-san! Please open your eyes." Masako was in full panic mode, and was shaking the priest with trembling hands.

Mai reached them, and took Masako in her arms, "It's alright Masako. He is alright. Calm Down."

Bou-san kneeled at the priest's side, and felt his pulse. "He is alright, just unconscious. Let us take him back to the base."

Mai nodded, and helped Masako up. The medium had tears in her eyes, and Mai didn't know if it was from her horrible experience, or from the priest's condition. She suspected it was a little of both.

After all, it was devastating to have the one you love try to kill you.

Bou-san picked up John, and they started walking towards the base, unaware of red eyes watching them with hatred.

* * *

Oliver glared at the screen as he watched the videos from the entrance camera. Matsuzaki-san had returned about 10 minutes ago with the tapes and the list of employees that he had asked Kaji-san to prepare.

He had seen John enter the premises. But had not seen him exit.

So, John was already here, somewhere in the building.

The team members he had sent to look for the priest had yet not returned, and he felt himself getting impatient. They had already wasted so much time, and he wanted to get on with the case.

Mostly, he wanted Mai back here so that he could keep an eye on her.

"Geez! Where are they?" Matsuzaki-san snapped from her place on the couch. Most probably she was getting bored, and wanted to liven things up by fighting with the monk. And Oliver wanted to avoid that from happening as long as he could.

Lin was still typing away, ignoring everything around him.

Oliver was about to ask Matsuzaki-san to go look for the absent team members, when the door opened, and Bou-san walked in carrying an unconscious John, followed by Mai who had her arms around the trembling medium.

He immediately snapped to attention, knowing something had gone wrong.

"What happened?" He asked as he moved towards the couch, where Bou-san was laying John down, and Matsuzaki-san was looking over the priest for any injuries.

"I think John was possessed." Bou-san straightened, and looked at the boss. Then he turned towards Hara-san, "He tried to kill Masako."

Oliver's eyes widened, and he looked at Hara-san who had started sobbing.

"Masako! Are you alright? Let me see!" Matsuzaki-san moved towards Hara-san and took her from Mai. She then sat the medium down on a chair, and looked at the slowly forming bruise around her neck.

"I will make some tea. It will help her calm down." Mai said, and moved towards the stove.

Oliver watched her go, and then turned towards the others.

"Matsuzaki-san, how is John's condition?"

She looked up at him, "He is fine. But we won't know anything definitely until he wakes up. Masako here is fine too. The bruise will heal in a few days. I will give her some medication to calm her down later, so that she can sleep properly."

Oliver nodded, and turned towards the monk, "What exactly happened, Bou-san?"

Lin came towards the couch as Bou-san recounted all that had occurred.

After he had finished telling everything, the monk collapsed on a nearby chair, and let out a long sigh. "It was too weird, Naru! His eyes, they were completely red."

Oliver thought for a moment. It seems there was a spirit here after all. And it had acted out on the first day itself. That meant the spirit was not shy at all.

And that meant more trouble for them.

"Here Masako! Drink up." Mai returned with the tea, handing a cup to the medium, from the tray she was carrying. She then gave everyone a cup, and Oliver was thankful for her consideration as he sipped on the delicacy. Not that he would thank her out loud (it went against his very nature).

Hara-san had calmed a little, so Oliver took this opportunity to question her.

"Did you feel anything, Hara-san?"

Mai glared at him, but he ignored it.

Hara-san took a moment to answer, "I did feel something. But it was not from John-san. He was not possessed."

"What! Masako, how can that be? I was right there, and the way he acted, he was possessed!" Bou-san shouted.

"I know! But I did not feel any spirits within him. What I did feel was that there was someone there, but they were away from where John-san was." Hara-san said, tears forming in her eyes as she remembered the incident.

Matsuzaki-san put an arm around her, and glared at Bou-san, who had the decency to look ashamed.

"Sorry Masako." The monk apologized.

"It's alright." Hara-san answered as she wiped her tears away, and looked up at Oliver, "But I am sure as to what I felt."

Oliver nodded slowly. Things were getting complicated.

A light moan was heard, and everyone turned to look towards the couch, where they saw John get up slowly.

"What is going on?" He asked them groggily.

"John! You are awake!" Bou-san shouted, and rushed towards the couch, Matsuzaki-san and Hara-san following him. "How are you feeling man? You gave us a scare you know!"

Matsuzaki-san pushed the monk away, "John! Are you feeling alright? Any pain?"

John looked at them confusedly, but answered in a low tone, "I am fine. But..." He looked around the base, "How did I get here?"

"Do you not remember?" Hara-san asked him, as she sat down next to him on the couch.

John blushed when he noticed the medium, but shook his head.

"What is the last thing you remember?" Oliver asked.

"Well, I remember coming into the building. I was looking around for someone who could guide me here, and then...nothing."

Oliver nodded, but mentally sighed. Now they had no clue as to what occurred. How convenient.

"It's alright John. Here, drink this." Mai said, handing him a cup of freshly made tea.

John took it thanking her, and sipped on it.

"Well, seeing as everyone is assembled, it's time to get to work." Oliver said, and raised a hand to stop Bou-san as he was about to say something, "I will first tell you about the case. Mai, tea."

"But Naru! You just had some!"

Oliver turned to look at her, his eyebrow raised, "So?"

Mai's jaw dropped. The nerve of this guy! She glared at him, and whipped around to walk towards the stove, muttering under her breath.

* * *

Oliver sighed, as he sipped on his tea (third cup, since his team members had returned with John), and looked at the monitors.

After he had finished telling them about the case, he had sent them in teams to set up cameras and microphones. Mai, Hara-san and John (who had refused Oliver's offer to rest, and had insisted on going, as he felt better) were setting up the equipment on the first and second floor, and Matsuzaki-san and Bou-san were doing the same on the third and fourth floor.

Some of the cameras were already set up, and Oliver was currently checking their angle on the monitor screen, making sure they were placed satisfactorily. He occasionally gave them instruction over the radio, and they (mostly Mai and Bou-san) grumbled when he made them correct the position of a particular camera again and again.

Oh, how he enjoyed tormenting them.

He knew that if he wanted Mai to start loving him, riling her up would not be beneficial to his plan. But her reactions were adorable, and he just could not stop himself.

Oliver smiled when he remembered her flush face and cute pout.

"Having a good time?" Lin asked him, a smirk on his face, and Oliver knew to what (or specifically whom) he was referring.

He ignored the onmyoji, and concentrated on the screen.

"Ah! Are you happy that you can constantly see Mai on the screen?"

Oliver whipped around to glare at the older man. He was about to tell him off, when he froze.

A scream was heard that resonated in the entire building, and there was no doubt as to the owner of it.

_Mai!_

* * *

**Dun! Dun! Dun! Another cliffy!**

**And this is to all you fans out there who just **_**love**_** to see Mai get in trouble.**

**That includes me!**

**Yeah, I know I said I would explain something about the ghost and the case here, but that would now have to wait. Sorry!**

**Anyhoo, hope you liked it! **

**Ciao!**


	5. Dreaming

**AN: Hello people! Presenting, the next chapter!**

**Thank you for your reviews!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Dreaming**

* * *

**May 26, Day 1**

"Noll! Slow down!"

Oliver could hear Lin shout behind him, but he ignored the older man, and continued running down the stairs. As soon as he had heard Mai scream, he had been out of his chair and out the door within seconds.

Oliver cursed himself. He should have known that Mai would attract some sort of unimaginable trouble. He should have insisted she stay in the base. Even if she would have fought him, threatened to cut down his supply of tea, he should have forced her to stay where he could keep an eye on her.

No, he should have gone with her. Not depended on the medium and recently recovered priest to protect her.

Oliver cursed again.

With his head whirling with thoughts that did not make sense even to him, he rushed down the corridor on the first floor that took him to the west side of the building. He had last seen them on the camera, when they were setting up said equipment in one of the corridors near the entrance, and he knew they were headed west.

Oliver thanked his lucky stars that he had the foresight to keep tabs on the position of his team members.

He sped up, when he saw the three of them ahead. Hara-san was kneeling beside Mai, who was sitting on the ground, cradling her left hand. The priest was standing next to them, and sighed in relief when he noticed Oliver speeding towards them.

"Mai!"

Said girl looked up when she heard her boss calling her name, and smiled a little, but then grimaced in pain.

"Are you alright? Are you hurt?" Oliver asked as he reached them and knelt in front of Mai. Hara-san stood up then, and moved to stand next to John.

Oliver ignored them as he looked over Mai for signs of any injury. His eyes narrowed when he saw small amount of blood dripping down her left arm. He gently took the injured hand, and examined the cut.

"It's nothing Naru! I just cut myself a little! And before you ask, no, it was not a spirit's doing. It was my own clumsiness." Mai said, and blushed when she noticed how gently her boss was cradling her hand. Lin-san had reached them by then, so she smiled up at him to convey that she was alright. She then winced a little when Naru dabbed at the wound with his handkerchief, and then wrapped the cloth around the injury. Then, still holding her hand, he looked up at her.

"Your own clumsiness? As much I believe that to be true, care to elaborate?" He asked, his tone mocking, but with a hint of concern.

Hara-san suddenly giggled, and Mai whipped around to glare at her. Oliver raised an eyebrow. What was so funny?

Mai was about to tell the medium off, but Oliver interrupted her.

"Mai?" He asked, and expectantly looked at her.

Mai flushed, and looking anywhere but at her boss, and Hara-san continued to giggle. Even John had a reluctant smile on his face. Lin looked at them as if they had lost their mind.

"...M...e." The troublesome girl said it in such a low tone, that Oliver almost missed it.

Almost.

Though the others didn't hear it.

But before he could say anything, Bou-san and Matsuzaki-san arrived at the scene, out of breath, their concerned eyes roving around to take in everybody present there, and finally focussing on Mai.

"Mai! Are you alright? What happened?" Bou-san asked in a rushed tone, kneeling by the girl, while the miko knelt on the other side. She looked over Mai searching for injuries, but paused when her eyes landed on the girl's left hand.

Her left hand, covered in a handkerchief, that Oliver was still holding.

Feeling the miko's gaze, Oliver slowly withdrew his hand, and cleared his throat. That bought everyone's attention on him.

"Mai was about to tell us what happened, before you interrupted, Bou-san." He said, glaring at the monk, and avoiding Matsuzaki-san's eyes, who was giving him a knowing look, a smirk adorning her face.

Nobody else had noticed him holding Mai's hand, longer than was necessary.

Bou-san wilted under his glare, and looked at Mai, "Oh...Well, continue then."

Mai flushed again, and glared at Oliver, who smirked at her. She was hoping that everyone would just forget about it, and she wouldn't have to be embarrassed. But it seems her boss had other ideas, if his mocking and amused eyes were any indication.

"Well?" The miko asked impatiently.

Mai let out a sigh. She knew they were not going to let it go. Well, it's better to just get it over with.

"I saw a mouse."

Hara-san giggled again, and as soon as realisation hit, she was joined by both Matsuzaki-san and Bou-san, who let out a boisterous laugh. John smiled nervously, Lin smirked, and Oliver just shook his head.

This girl would be the death of him.

"A...Hahahaha...A mouse? Oh...Hahahaha!" Bou-san couldn't even get a complete sentence out.

Mai huffed, "Well, it was so _big_! And it was looking at me, you know!"

But the monk continued to laugh.

Matsuzaki-san calmed down, and pointed at her injured hand, "How did you get that?"

Mai flushed again, and looked away, "Well, it squeaked, and I stumbled back, and...well...I cut myself on the window sill."

Bou-san laughed harder, but calmed real quick when Mai glared at him. He still giggled a little now and then, but held a hand over his mouth to control himself.

Oliver shook his head again. Really, this girl! He was so worried, blaming himself, the others, for not protecting her. He felt so relieved now. He leaned back on the wall, and sighed, closing his eyes in relief.

"Sorry... I made everyone worry..." Mai said in a soft tone, her head down, her shoulders tensed in guilt.

Bou-san patted her head, and smiled when she looked up, "It's alright Mai! Besides, I know if Ayako had seen the mouse, she would have raised hell, far worse than you." He said it in such a serious tone, that Mai giggled, but Matsuzaki-san glared at him.

_Thwack!_

"Ouch! You old hag! Control yourself!" Bou-san shouted, massaging his scalp where the miko had hit him.

"Shut up, you useless monk!"

Oliver massaged his temples, he felt a headache coming on. He looked at Mai, who was smiling at the antics of the two idiots, but she winced when Bou-san accidently bumped into her hand.

That made Oliver snap to attention.

"Enough! John, Hara-san, continue with your work. Lin, go with Bou-san. Matsuzaki-san, we will take Mai to base. You can treat her injury there."

"But Naru, you yourself did such a good job at wrapping her injury, that it hurts my heart to undo such a delicately, yet wonderfully done job. You were even holding her hand so...gently!" The miko said coyly, smirking at him.

Oliver glared at her, while Mai flushed. Bou-san raised a suggestive eyebrow at them, and Lin smirked. John looked confused, and the medium just rolled her eyes, and pulled the priest away to start work again.

"Well well well! Is that true? How scandalous!" Bou-san said, and giggled when the boss glared at him. And before he could feel Oliver's wrath, he and Lin escaped.

Oliver stood up slowly, and helped the blushing Mai up, while the miko started walking away, the smirk still in place.

The three of them then walked back to base; one peeved, one embarrassed, and one victorious.

* * *

_Mai looked around lazily, trying to make sense of the variegated colours and abnormal patterns that swirled in the almost black space she found herself in._

_Her dream world._

_She sighed. She had been here for quite some time now, trying to make the vision, for which she was obviously here, come to her, but so far it lead to nothing._

_Now she was feeling sleepy, even if she was already sleeping._

_How ironic._

_How she missed her dream guide, Gene. He would have immediately come to her as soon as she entered the dream world, and easily led her to the visions. She supposed it was because he had spoiled her so, that right now she was helpless. If only she had learned from him then how all this worked. But at that time she didn't know that he was Gene, and that someday he would be gone. She had thought it was Naru who had somehow found the ability to invade her dreams and help her along, and she had taken it all for granted._

_If only she had known earlier._

_Mai shook her head to clear the thoughts. Missing him won't bring him back. Right now, she had to focus._

_She did everything she had learned from Lin-san, when the older man had the foresight to instruct her on controlling her visions, after him and Naru had returned from England one month ago. But till now, there had not been a need for her visions. Heck, there had not been even the need to stay overnight on the last two cases that the SPR had taken. _

_They had taken the first case a week after her former boss returned. The case had been at a candy shop, the machines would start working on their own. They had set up cameras, and monitored everything from the van (due to lack of space). When night came, they had caught the culprit._

_Apparently, a rowdy employee had been fired a week back, and as revenge, said ex-employee was pulling pranks on the establishment._

_To say Naru had been angry would be an understatement. After thoroughly scolding the shop owner for wasting his time, he had advised him to put surveillance cameras in the shop. The owner had looked surprised, apparently the idea hadn't occurred to him._

_So they were back home before midnight._

_The second case did turn out to be a real haunting, but the spirit had been kind and benevolent. The house they were investigating had been haunted by a ghost for some time now, but all the activities were targeted against the man who had come to them with his case. The team had just entered the house, when Masako was possessed, and the story revealed. The spirit was that of the grandfather of the 5-year old twins, a boy and a girl, living in the house. After his son, the children's father had died, he had lived with his daughter-in-law and the grandchildren, until he too had passed away half a year back. The mother had re-married, to the client. And the grandfather was back from the grave to protect his family from the wretched, abusive man. _

_The team had understood when they saw the bruised and bandaged children._

_Mai had wanted to hit the evil man to a bloody pulp, but Naru had beat her to it. The punch he had given had the horrile man sprawling on the ground, surprised._

_To say everyone was shocked would be an understatement._

_Mai had been very proud of her boss._

_The police had been called, and when they had asked about the large bruise on the man's face (which one of the officer's had noticed as they were taking him away), Naru had calmly replied 'self-defence'._

_No further questions were asked, since no one believed the wretched man even though he continued screaming 'lies' the entire way to the police station._

_Mai had been glad to see the happy smile on the children's faces, as their step-father was being taken away._

_The mother had been devastated. She had not known the way her kids were being treated, as she was away for business almost all the time. The new husband had always said how much he loved the twins, and had reassured her that the injuries they got were due to playing._

_The grandpa spirit had been content, and he easily moved on._

_So, once again, they had been back home, this time before dinner time._

_As a result, Mai had not had the time to practice._

_Which brings her back to the current predicament._

_She took a deep breath. What was the first thing that Lin-san had told her? To focus, and not let her attention wander. And she had been doing exactly that._

_She smiled sheepishly to herself, rubbing the back of her head in an embarrassed manner. Thank god Naru wasn't here to see her helplessly floundering around in her dream world, or his blasted teasing would have been never ending._

_Ah! There her mind goes, wandering again._

_She slapped her cheeks (wincing, when she hit them a little too hard), and sat down. Then she took a deep breath again and focussed._

_She visualised the burned down building they were in. She tried to put in as many details as she could. Trying to hold on to the fleeting image she had created, she visualised herself walking towards said building._

_A sudden shift in air had her opening her eyes, and looking at the building in front of her. The vision had finally appeared._

_She frowned. This was not the mall. This was a house, styled to the late Victorian, with sloping roofs and large windows. It was beautiful, a small cobblestone path leading to the front door, with a lush green garden on either side of it. The flowers were in full bloom, and the sakura tree at the west end of the house was showering petals as it moved with the silent breeze. The place gave a calm, almost revered feeling. And Mai couldn't help but feel amazed._

_She looked around the area. It did look vaguely familiar, somehow a little similar to the area around the mall, but she couldn't be so sure. _

_Before she could contemplate it further, a wisp of conversation found way to her ears. She turned towards the voices, and started walking closer, hoping to hear more clearly. She was now beneath the sakura tree, and the voices were coming from the open window situated there. She looked in._

_Two girls, about her age, were sitting there. One had long black hair, and burgundy- almost red eyes. She was looking at the other girl nervously, who had short dark brown hair, and blue eyes._

"_Come now, Sumi-chan!" The girl with brown-hair said, addressing her friend, "It won't harm anyone."_

"_But, Mari-chan", the girl called Sumi-chan (though Mai was sure that was a short version of the girl's name) said, nervously glancing at the door, "I can't do that. I promised mama."_

"_It's okay! She won't find out, I promise. It's just for a little while! Think of it like an experiment. Won't you do this for your best friend?"_

"_But..." Before Sumi-chan could reply, they heard a voice calling them._

"_Sumire! Mariko! Dinner's ready!"_

_Sumire jumped, and looked at Mariko apologetically, who just sighed and smiled._

"_We will talk about it later. Let's go." Mariko said, getting up and offering a hand to Sumire, who smiled softly and took it._

"_Okay, Mari-chan."_

_With that, they were gone, and so was the vision._

_Mai sighed, as she was back in the dark space. That was short. And not much helpful either. And to think she worked so hard to bring the vision out._

_What now?_

_She was about to concentrate again, in hopes of bringing about another of her visions, when she heard clapping._

"_Bravo Mai! I knew you could do it!"_

_Mai whipped around, recognizing the voice, her eyes searching for it's owner._

_There he was, standing a few feet behind her, a smile on his face._

"_Gene!" Mai shouted happily, and jumped on the startled boy, hugging him._

_Gene chuckled as he balanced them, lest they fall. He hugged her back, patting her head. But before he could say anything, he recoiled back in pain, and fell down._

_Mai stood over him, a fist raised, her eyes angry. Apparently, the happiness to see him lasted only so far. _

"_You jerk! You did not even say goodbye! And all this time, you made me think you were Naru! You son of a ..."_

"_But Mai," he cut her off, "I had my reasons! And there was no need to punch me so hard!" He pouted, and stroked his fingers over the slowly forming bruise._

"_Shut up! You deserved it! Just be thankful I didn't hit you in the balls!" Mai huffed, still glaring at him._

_Gene blushed, but said nothing as he looked at her, silently asking for forgiveness._

_A few minutes passed, before Mai let out a long sigh, and her eyes softened. She smiled at him, and offered him a hand. He warily took it, and pulled himself up._

"_Sorry... I hit you too hard, I guess. But I missed you!" She said, hugging him again._

_He relaxed, putting his arms around her, and smiled. He had missed her too._

_She sighed as she pulled away, "Well, as long as you are back...Wait! Why are you back? You should have moved on!" _

_Gene grimaced a little at her loud voice, "I don't know, Mai. But I am glad I came back, seeing as I have a lot to teach you." He smiled suggestively, which earned him a smack on the head._

"_Idiot!" She said affectionately, but then her eyes narrowed, "Wait! Were you here the whole time?"_

_He looked sheepish, as he gave her an apologetic smile, "Ahaha... I was."_

_Mai glared at him, itching to punch him again. "It didn't occur to you to help me?"_

"_But I wanted you to give it a try, to learn. Besides, your expressions were funny..."_

_Mai huffed and looked away. "Whatever."_

_Gene snickered. It was so fun teasing her. No wonder his idiot scientist of a brother kept her close._

_Speaking of his brother._

"_Did he confess his love for you?"_

_Mai looked at him confused. But her eyes widened as realisation hit her. "No. I confessed, and he rejected me."_

_Gene scowled. What the hell?_

_He was about to ask her to explain, when she raised a hand to stop him. "I am tired. I have to go back. Please don't ask anything right now!"_

_She sounded sad, and so he let it go for now. Besides, there was always time later when she dreamed again._

"_Alright. Rest now. Tomorrow, we start your training."_

_With that, she felt Gene fade, as darkness surrounded her again._

* * *

**May 27, Day 2**

Oliver Davis rubbed his eyes, hoping to get rid of the sleepiness that seemed to be hell bent on making him rest. He sat there in his chair, at 3 in the morning, looking at the monitors, occasionally listening in on the audio. Lin was sitting on the other side of the room, typing.

Yesterday, after Mai's injury had been taken care of (the cut was so small that it only required a small band-aid), and the others had returned after putting up the cameras and microphones, they had all just stayed in the base with nothing to do. Oliver had spent his time watching the screens for any type of activity, occasionally glancing at his brunette assistant. He had not asked her for tea, seeing as she was injured and he wanted to be considerate. Then, when dinner time had arrived, Lin and Bou-san had gone to a nearby restaurant to bring the food.

The dinner had been a noisy affair, and after much insistence from Bou-san, Oliver too had joined the fray.

After about an hour of laughing, talking, teasing and eating, the group had been tired. So Oliver had suggested that they go to sleep, seeing as there had been no activity other than the incident with John (which they had concluded was only because John had been alone, so he was a victim of opportunity). He had informed them that from the next day, a team of two people would take turns watching the base at night, changing shifts every 2 hours.

The team had dispersed then, keen on getting as much sleep as they could.

When Mai had suggested he should sleep too, he had shut her up by asking her if she was offering to sleep with him.

Everyone had been shocked, and Mai had turned a brilliant red. Oliver had just smirked.

Without another word, Mai had rushed out of the base, closely followed by Hara-san and Matsuzaki-san, who shook their head. Bou-san gave him a wink, before he too had left, followed by John, who still looked a little shocked.

Yes, Oliver had been flirting with Mai. And her blushing face had been beautiful.

Lin had just smirked at him, before returning to work.

So here he was, still checking the monitors, getting more and more tired by the minute. His lack of tea was catching up to him. He could ask Lin to make him some, but he knew he wanted only Mai's tea.

He turned around, when suddenly the base door opened, and Mai walked in, groggily rubbing her eyes, and yawning.

Lin too had looked up from his laptop, and was watching the girl with amusement.

"Mai? What are you doing up so early?" Oliver asked, concern in his voice, though the girl didn't notice.

"Hmmm..." She started, trying to focus her eyes on him, "I had a dream."

"You could have informed me in the morning. Go back to sleep."

"No. I might forget by then!" She sounded a little more awake. She sat down on the couch, and Oliver moved to sit beside her. Lin sat opposite them in a chair, poised ready to type in her account of the dream.

"Alright." Oliver said, and listened with attention as she recounted the events that occurred in her vision. It was short, but it was something. He smirked, when she told them of her difficulty in controlling the visions, but didn't comment on it.

"Sorry Lin-san. Even when you taught me..." She trailed off and guiltily looked at the onmyoji.

Lin smiled and waved off her apology. "It's alright Mai. You did your best. Besides, this was only the first time. You will get the hang of it eventually."

Mai smiled back, relieved.

"Is that all?" Oliver asked her.

She hesitated, as if wanting to say something more, but then slowly shook her head, and avoided her boss's gaze.

Oliver's eyes narrowed. She was hiding something, he knew. But did not press her to say it, knowing if it was important and related to the case, she would have told him. This seemed more...personal, and he would wait till she decided to tell him herself.

So he just nodded.

"You should go back to sleep." He suggested, as he got up to go back to his customary chair.

"No. I am not sleepy anymore. I will just stay here. Ah! I think I will work a little on my essay!" She said as she got up to fetch the books bag she had earlier placed in the room. After finding it, she again sat back on the couch. Lin too had gone back to his work.

Oliver just nodded, and turned back to the monitors. Her dream had confused him. This building was obviously not the house Mai had described, so something must have happened to it for it to be replaced by this mall. He sighed. He would just have to wait for Yasuhara to bring back the information on this place. Perhaps that would shed some light on the case.

He suppressed a yawn, and gave in to his need of tea. He turned around to tell Mai to get him tea, but said girl was already asleep again, her head hanging precariously off the back rest of the couch, and the book in her hand slipping, ready to fall.

Oliver shook his head, and got up. He went to the couch, took the book from her hand and placed it on the coffee table. Then he laid her down carefully, so that she was stretched out on the couch. He took off his coat, and covered her with it.

She looked so comfortable, that he wished to join her. He was so tired that he did not notice Lin watching him.

He rubbed his eyes again.

"Noll, you should get some rest." Lin said quietly, careful not to wake the girl up.

"No. I am fine." But then a thought occurred to him, "Lin, you should go rest."

Lin started to protest, but one look from the boy, and he stopped. He sighed. When Noll was being stubborn, there was no way to sway him. Besides, Lin was too tired himself to put up a fight.

He looked at Noll, as he unconsciously watched the sleeping Mai, and smirked. Perhaps he should leave them alone. He would leave one of his shiki here, so that if there was any danger, Lin would know.

"Alright." The onmyoji said, and walked out of the base.

Oliver sighed when the older man left. He made to move towards his chair, but stopped when another yawn threatened to engulf him. He glanced at the sleeping Mai again, and made his decision.

Screw it!

He lifted his coat a little, and lay down next to her. The couch was big enough for them both, so why should he sleep on a chair? He then covered himself and Mai with his coat again, and positioned her so that her head was on his shoulder.

Oliver was amazed at how content he felt, how happy. He smiled a little, pecked the girls forehead (so out of character for him, but how long was he going to ignore temptation?), and closed his eyes.

He vaguely remembered suggesting something like this to Mai earlier in the night, but lost his train of thought when Mai snuggled into him.

Ah! Life was good.

* * *

**Done! Man, this was loooong!**

**Ahhh, my first dream scene. Nice, na?**

**And aren't Naru and Mai just **_**adorable**_**?**

**Well, hope you liked it! Stay tuned for more!**

**Ciao!**


	6. Awaken

**AN: Here's the next chapter! **

**Thank you all for your reviews! They are my bread and butter, you know...well, kind of...in a literary sort of way...**

**Anyhoo, enjoy!**

* * *

**Awaken**

* * *

**May 27, Day 2**

Yasuhara Osamu yawned as he trotted towards the building.

Why the _hell_ did the boss have to take a case that was so far away?

He had to leave home at freaking 5 in the morning, just so he could reach here in time. He glanced at his watch, and cursed. He had miscalculated. It had taken his colleagues almost two and a half hours to reach here yesterday (as informed by his boss when he had called Yasu soon after reaching the site, to instruct him on the directions), so he had left early. But he had not taken into account the _absence_ of traffic at the god-forsaken hour, hence he had reached earlier than expected.

It was only 6.45 AM now.

The whole team would still be sleeping peacefully (Yasu envied them), well except for boss-man and Lin-san, but they didn't count since they did not like to sleep.

They were not normal, enough said.

He frowned when he remembered the conversation he had with them yesterday over the phone.

Yasu had just arrived home from the library and was making dinner (he lived alone now, since he was attending university, so he had to do the chores himself), when his phone rang. It was Bou-san calling.

"Ah, my dear Hosho, miss me?" He said after picking up, a smirk on his face as he pictured the monk spluttering and blushing at his teasing.

"...Now I know why Bou-san asked me to call."

Yasu's eyes widened. There was no mistaking that voice. Bou-san had become smarter, it seems. But what the college boy couldn't figure out is how the monk had coerced _Lin-san_ into calling him.

Oh well. Target change.

"Why, dear _Koujo_, jealous?"

Yasuhara had laughed hard when he had heard Lin-san hastily hand the phone over to Mai, spluttering excuses along the lines of having typing to do.

Oh, how he loved toying with them.

"Yasu, stop teasing them! It's really uncomfortable watching grown men of their calibre being reduced to such blubbering mess!" Mai had said to him in mock indignation, he could hear the smile in her voice.

"Yes, yes. Now, onto the serious matters. What is going on there?" He asked, his teasing demeanour gone.

"John-san was attacked in the morning."

Yasu had cursed, and then listened carefully as Mai had filled him on all the details.

"So be careful when you come, Yasu! Don't roam around. Come straight to the third floor. That's where the base is."

Yasu had answered in the affirmative, and informed her he would be there early in the morning. With that, he had hung up.

So, here he was, at the site, too sleepy to give a damn about the ugly place.

Well, at least he was not alone.

It seems the work on the building was starting again today. And so, even at such an early hour, there were workers milling around, some arriving, some already working on menial tasks.

Hats off to their diligence, Yasu thought while yawning again.

He noticed the camera at the entrance as he reached there, and waved a little, hoping someone would see, so that if he wound up in trouble with the ghost, at least there would be a hope of someone helping him.

"Hey, what are you doing here?"

Yasu turned around at the question, and saw a burly man walking towards him from the parking lot. It seems he had just arrived.

"I am here with SPR."

"Who now?" The man asked, his eyebrows scrunching.

"Shibuya Psychic Research. We are here to investigate the haunting."

The man's confusion cleared, and he gave a boisterous laugh, "Hahaha! Those ghost hunting novices?"

Yasu wanted to roll his eyes. If the boss-man had heard that, the burly man would have been in trouble, even with his huge, muscular form.

But Yasu didn't have the power of the 'Death Glare', and the man was huge. He had no interest in getting beaten up so early in the morning.

So, he just smiled politely, "Something like that."

The man frowned, and glared at the boy, "Such a fool Kaji is! Wasting money on liars and imposters! There is no ghost here, I tell you! Just some superstition bullshit!"

"Enough, Hijiri! Don't trouble the young man. They are here on my request." Another man arrived from within the building.

Hijiri-san just huffed, glared one last time at Yasu (who continued smiling politely), and walked off.

"Sorry about that. By the way, I am Jirou Kaji, the contractor. I was the one who hired your team." Kaji-san said, as he shook Yasu's hand.

Yasu smiled and nodded, "Hello there. I am Yasuhara Osamu. I am the self-proclaimed history researcher and prankster of SPR."

Kaji-san blinked, but then laughed, "Is that so? Well, I wish you the best of luck."

Yasu nodded again, but then asked confusedly, "How did you know I was here?"

"Well, I saw you waving at the camera. Your boss had informed me yesterday that one of his team members would arrive here in the morning, so I assumed..."

"Ah!" Yasu cut him off, and raised his hands towards the heavens in a dramatic gesture, "So, there was someone watching! Thank God!"

Kaji-san stared at him, and slowly backed away, "Well...Do you need any help?"

Yasu looked at the man again, and smiled at his hesitance (he had that effect on people, and he liked it), "No, I already know where to go! Thank you, Kaji-san."

The contractor nodded, and hastily went back the way he came.

Yasu chuckled as he made his way towards the stairs. Now he had one more target. How fun!

He whistled to himself as he climbed the stairs, occasionally complaining about his boss's apparent lack of judging distances (third floor, really!?). He would occasionally look out a window (he was early, so he had time to kill), and admire the greenery around the place. He could make out a range of small mountains in the distance, and the sunrise against this background was truly something.

When he finally reached the third floor (a little out of breath. He was not athletic, so sue him!), he looked around for the base. He sighed when he finally noticed a shimmer of light from the slight space below the door to his right, it had to be the base. He paused, trying to decide whether to go in quietly, or make as much noise as possible.

He decided to go with the former. It was still early, and the rooms that the SPR members were sleeping in were probably right next to base. And if he made too much noise, it would probably wake them up. He was not in the mood to hear endless ranting from a certain miko for disturbing her beauty sleep.

So, begrudgingly, he slowly opened the base door.

And froze.

Well, his befuddled mind thought through the haze, this was...surprising.

First off, no one (namely, Naru or Lin-san) was sitting in front of the monitors.

Secondly, no one (namely, Lin-san) was typing.

Thirdly, his boss was sound asleep, on the couch.

And fourthly, he thought with a shudder of excitement, his boss was sound asleep, on the couch, while _cuddling _with Mai.

My, my. Teenagers.

Yasu slowly smirked as he walked into the room and took in the situation, thinking of endless possibilities of what he could do with this _delicate_ information (aka, blackmail material). He hastily took out his cell phone, stood next to the couch, and clicked many pictures at different angles, all the while trying to control his giggling. If the boss woke up and saw him while he was in such a compromising situation with the assistant, Yasu would have hell to pay. And, contrary to popular belief, he did not fancy that.

He cocked his head as he looked at them. There was no way Mai voluntarily got in the couch with Naru. It was most probable that Mai had gone to sleep first, and the boss had then decided to join her.

That made sense. If Mai only knew. Yasu was aware of the girl's decision to give up on Naru, they went to the same university after all. So, they shared a lot of things with each other. Although Yasu had advised her against it, and told her to have hope, Yasu himself was frustrated by the lack of initiative from the boss's side. Though the looks Naru had been giving Mai since he returned hinted at possible realisation and determination to act.

Hmm... Yasu will have to egg them on, it seems.

No problem, he had ways.

Yasu smiled softly at the couple, and shook his head at their head strong nature. He decided to leave them alone for now. He knew that Naru would want to see the reaction on the girl's face when she got up and found herself tangled with her boss. And anyways, he already had enough blackmail material.

He turned towards the door, and thought about what he would do now.

He smirked evilly, when the thought occurred to him on how Bou-san would react if he woke up to find himself tangled with the bespectacled boy.

Time to look for the blissfully unaware monk.

* * *

Oliver slowly opened his eyes, slumber not completely gone, yet awake enough not to close his eyes again. He frowned as he looked at the base door from his position on the couch, and relaxed slightly when he found it shut. Weird, he thought, he was sure he had heard the door open. Oh well, must have been his imagination. He started to get up, but stopped when he heard a soft sigh. He looked to his side, and smirked as he remembered the previous night.

He had decided to share the couch with Mai.

Oh, the implications...

He had slept quite peacefully last night, something he hadn't been able to do for quite some time. The girl's presence at his side had calmed him, and her soft breathing had lulled him into a deep dreamless sleep. Her snuggling into him had been a bonus he had not anticipated, but all the same enjoyed.

He smiled softly as he lay back down, and sighed as she snuggled into him again. It seems Mai was not yet ready to wake up. Well, he wasn't complaining. He was quite comfortable too.

He didn't go back to sleep though. He had his share of rest. So, he stared at the ceiling, his thoughts on the case. It was unfortunate that John did not remember any of the events, otherwise they would have had some sort of a lead. Hara-san did feel something, but she hadn't been able to say anything definite about it: whether it was benevolent (though what happened with the priest and the medium proved that the spirit was far from kind), volatile or violent. He did not know how to proceed, but hoped that the information Yasuhara would bring would throw some light.

Speaking of which, the college boy should be here soon.

Oliver suddenly panicked. If Yasuhara saw him and Mai in this position, he wouldn't hear the end of it. The teasing would increase multi-fold, and would be non-stop. It was really unfortunate for Oliver that his death glare had no effect on the bespectacled boy, or he wouldn't be so worried.

He slowly calmed down, reassuring himself that Yasuhara wouldn't come here so early. If he had already come, there would be a lot of ruckus.

With that, his mind went back to the case. Perhaps the cameras had picked up something last night. If not, he would have to send Hara-san and the miko for one more round around the premises. Plus, today he would be conducting the interviews. Maybe that will yield something.

He frowned when he tried to come up with an explanation for John's apparent amnesia. Granted, it happened when a person was possessed, but Hara-san had said that that had not been the case. John had not been possessed. Then what made him act the way he did?

And if it really was a case of simple amnesia due to the emotionally traumatic event, perhaps those memories can be brought back.

Oliver slowly nodded to himself. Yes, he would try hypnotism on John. Perhaps that would help the priest remember.

Well, now he had a plan for the day – interviews, hypnotism, videos and a walkthrough.

He sighed again. He would have to wait for the others to wake up though.

Perhaps he could rudely wake them up, after Mai woke up, of course.

A sudden scream made him jump.

A girly 'Kyaaaaa' in a man's voice.

He looked to the base door, trying to figure out what happened. He heard distinct, muffled shouting, and relaxed slightly. Bou-san was screaming profanities, though Oliver couldn't make out the reason.

Before he could contemplate it further, a soft moan and a sigh brought his attention to the girl beside him. Apparently, the scream had woken her up.

Oliver waited for her to wake completely, and notice their position. Of course he wanted to see her reaction. It was partly the reason he had done this.

Mai opened her eyes slightly, then rubbed them trying to get rid of the residual sleepiness. She felt so comfortable, she just laid there, her eyes on the ceiling. She did not notice the boy next to her.

Oliver chuckled at her antics, and said in a low tone, "Good Morning, Mai. I see you have slept well."

Mai whipped her head at the voice, to look at her boss lying next to her, his coat covering them, and his arm acting as her pillow.

A second scream was heard, this time from the base.

Oliver slowly massaged his abused ears, his eyes trained on the blushing, spluttering girl. She had sat up on noticing him and screamed bloody murder. She pressed back on the couch, covering herself with his coat, looking at him, then the couch, then at him again. He smirked at her panicked look.

"Wha... Naru...How...What?"

Oliver again chuckled as he slowly stood up from his place on the couch and stretched, sighing as his muscles worked. He then turned to her, a serious look on his face.

"What do you mean, Mai? Do you not remember that you were the one who pulled me down?"

Mai's eyes widened, his serious look making her believe his words. She panicked again, blushing and mentally berating herself for acting out her dreams in real life. She paused after a moment, trying to remember if she actually had such a dream.

Her pouty look made Oliver smirk again. She was thinking about something, that was clear. But before he could tease her further, the base door opened.

Bou-san entered, looking haggard and scandalized, followed by Yasuhara (when did he get here?), who had a huge grin on his face.

"Aw, Bou-san! Come on! It's alright for lovers to sleep together!" Yasuhara said, slinging an arm around the older man's shoulders.

"No freaking way, you creep! Find someone else to sleep with! Next time I find you in my bed, I am suing you for sexual harassment!" Bou-san half screamed, roughly pushing the boy off. He then huffed, but stopped when he saw Oliver and Mai.

"Mai? You woke up early? That's a miracle." The monk teased, then grinned as he ruffled the girl's hair.

Mai blushed and pushed his hand away. Oliver smirked at the opportunity.

"Your scream woke her up, Bou-san. She was sleeping quite peacefully till then."

Mai flushed again, and glared at Oliver, who just cocked his head innocently, but his eyes gave him away.

Yasuhara coughed, and Oliver snapped his attention to him.

"When did you arrive, Yasuhara?"

"Oh, _quite _some time ago." Yasuhara said, grinning and raised his eyebrows suggestively.

Oliver's eyes narrowed at his tone. He frowned in confusion at the bespectacled boy's action, but then his eyes widened when realization set in.

Yasuhara had walked in on him and Mai sleeping.

Oh _bloody _hell.

Oliver glared at the boy, but Yasuhara just smirked and held his phone out. Even though it was casual, the message was clear to the boss – back off or get blackmailed.

He slowly nodded (which made Yasuhara jump in joy), and turned towards Mai and Bou-san, who had not noticed anything.

"Eh? Sorry Jou-chan! But...why were you sleeping in the base?"

Mai looked away as she answered, "I...I had a dream. So I had come here to tell Naru...So.."

Bou-san cut her off (and she thanked God for that), "Tell me the dream!"

Mai sighed, and proceeded to tell the events of her dream to Bou-san and Yasuhara. When she finished, she got up from the couch, "I am going to go freshen up. See ya!"

Bou-san nodded, and slumped back on the couch. Yasuhara wandered off towards the monitors.

Mai slowly walked to the base door, looking at her boss from the corner of her eyes. Oliver noticed, so he smirked at her, which made the girl blush and quicken her pace.

She was never going to live this down, was she?

* * *

After everyone had woken up, freshened up and had breakfast (all of which took, to Oliver's displeasure, a total of 3 hours), they sat in the base, waiting for further instructions and information.

Mai sat on the couch, Hara-san and John next to her. Bou-san was sitting on the ground, trying to pull himself out of Yasuhara's grasp, and Matsuzaki-san was sitting on a chair next to the couch, occasionally kicking the monk in the leg. Lin was sitting on a nearby table, ready to type. Mai had already told the remaining members of her dream, and they were now discussing of the possible explanations and meaning.

Oliver cleared his throat to get the attention of his team-mates, and started when they looked at him.

"Lin and I have already checked the videos from last night. There was no activity. And..."

"Eh? You mean you didn't watch the monitors last night? That's a first." The miko interrupted. "What were you doing then?"

Oliver glared at the woman, and Mai blushed, looking away. Only the medium noticed, and she looked from the girl to Oliver and smirked.

"What I do with my time is none of your business, Matsuzaki-san." He said harshly, which made the miko huff and cross her arms. "As I was saying, there was no activity. Today, we will be conducting interviews. In the meantime, I want Hara-san and Matsuzaki-san to make a round of the premises..."

"Again? But we did that yesterday!" The miko interrupted one more time.

Oliver felt his patience thin, "Yes, again. Hara-san, see if you can feel anything more definite." The medium nodded. "Before that, Yasuhara, what have you found?"

Yasuhara cleared his throat, "Well, there is not much history of this place. The mall was built around 20 years ago. It was old fashioned, as is clear," he waved his hand around, "But it was quite popular at the time. However, about six months later, it burned down. There was an investigation, but they could not find the origin of the fire. And since the fire happened in daytime, some 10 people were hurt, and 15 people had died."

Mai gasped, and Bou-san shook his head. It must have been horrible.

"After that, the building was abandoned, mostly acting as a shelter for some homeless." Yasuhara continued, "It was brought by the Yazami Company last year, and given to Kaji-san for renovation a month back. I checked the company too, they are clean. They buy such lost properties and to put it simply 'return them to their former glory'."

Oliver nodded, deep in thought. The house Mai had seen in her dream was not mentioned, and they knew nothing of it's history. But he knew the house must have existed at some point, he knew to trust Mai's vision.

"Yasuhara, I want you to go to Kaji-san and get contact information for the Yazami Company. Ask them about from whom they bought the land and the building. Then contact the person, and get any information you can on the house that was here before. After that, go to the local library. Perhaps they might have some more information on the house. Bou-san, you will go with him." Oliver instructed the boy and the monk, who nodded.

He then turned to John, "Have you remembered anything?"

The priest shook his head.

Oliver nodded, "If it's alright with you, I would like to do an experiment. Your amnesia is probably due to the experience, and the memory may return if pushed right. I will perform hypnotism on you, help you to remember."

John sat silent as he considered this, but nodded after a moment, "That's fine with me."

"But Naru," the medium said, one hand on the priest's shoulder, "What if something goes wrong?"

Oliver raised an eyebrow at her, "Are you doubting my skills, Hara-san?"

The medium flushed slightly in embarrassment and shook her head.

"It's okay, Hara-san." John turned to her, his smile reassuring, "I will be fine."

The medium blushed and nodded. Mai giggled, but winced when Hara-san elbowed her.

Oliver shook his head at their antics, "Well, if everything is clear, lets..."

He did not get to finish, as suddenly the lights flickered, and the building shook violently. A scream reverberated in the building. It stopped as suddenly as it began, and the lights completely went out.

The room took on a red hue, and before anyone could do anything, the base door slammed open.

* * *

**Yes people, this is a cliffie!**

**I loveeeee cliffies!**

**Hehehehe!**

**Hope you liked it though, and please review!**

**And if you have any questions regarding anything, PM me!**

**Ciao!**


	7. To Remember

**AN: Hello readers! Here's the next chapter!**

**And I am officially giving the chapters their names. I know, a little late, but I just came up with them. I know, they are a little odd... but that's all I could do for now. I might change them again later.**

**Also, do check out my profile! I have put up some of the possible future projects, and I would like your opinion on which to do first. And which I should just forget about. **

**Thank You for all your reviews!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**To Remember**

* * *

**May 27, Day 2**

"Good Morning there. Since you all are awake, and all my workers are here, would you like to...Are you people alright?"

Mai turned her head towards the base door as it opened, and sighed in relief when she saw Kaji-san at the door. He was watching them with confusion, and she looked around to take in the appearance of the team.

She was on the couch, bending over, hands covering her ears. Masako and John-san were sitting next to her, in a similar position. Bou-san was kneeling on the ground, his hands positioned ready for chanting. Yasuhara was crouching, and Ayako was half stumbling out of the chair she had sat in.

Only Naru and Lin-san looked unruffled, their eyes steadily looking at the contractor.

The lights had flickered back on when no one had noticed, and the room was clear again.

"Yes, we are." Naru answered the man, flicking a gaze at his sprawled team. "Are you and your people alright?"

"Eh? What do you mean?" Kaji-san asked, furrowing his eyebrows as he slowly entered the base.

Naru raised an eyebrow, "Did you not experience that?"

"Experience what?"

Frowning, Naru got up from his chair and walked towards the monitors, Lin-san following him. "Two minutes ago, the building shook, the lights flickered and there was a scream."

Kaji-san's eyes widened, and he shook his head, "Nothing like that occurred, Shibuya-san. I would know if the building shook like that. And no one heard any screaming."

"It would seem so..." Naru trailed off as he looked over the video recordings. Then he turned around, "The activity was limited to this room alone."

Mai gasped, and looked around at others, who had the same unbelievable look on their faces.

"How is that possible? The whole building shook! Like it was gonna freaking fall over!" Bou-san half screamed as he got up from the ground, and went to Ayako to help her up.

"I do not know how or why. But we will find out." Naru said, glaring at the monk. Then he turned towards the contractor, "You were asking something as you entered."

Mai shook her head at the workaholic. Leave it to him to not be perturbed by such an experience, and go back right to work. Well, not everyone can do that. It seems Ayako had similar thoughts.

"That's it? That's all you are going to say? We just had a scary experience, with no explanation! Give us some time to..."

Naru cut the miko off, "Sitting around doing nothing won't give us answers. The sooner we get on with the case, the sooner we can solve it. But if you want to slack off Matsuzaki-san, you can go home."

Ayako glared at the boy, but said nothing. Bou-san nervously patted her hand (which he was still holding, Mai noticed) to calm her down.

"As I was saying, Kaji-san, you were asking something."

"Ah...Uh...Yes," Kaji-san said as he slowly turned towards the boss, "I was asking if you wanted to start the interviews?"

"Yes." Naru said as he took out a paper from his black book and handed it to the man, "This is the order in which I will interview them. If you could send them over in turns."

"Of course!" Kaji-san said as he took the paper, then turned a apologetic smile at the others, "Sorry, you had to go through that. I cannot imagine how terrifying it must have been."

"It's alright, my dear Kaji-san. It was you who saved us by coming here in time. Or else, who knows what would have happened." Yasuhara smiled at the contractor, and made a move to take his hand, but Kaji-san took a step back.

"Well...If that's all...Uh..." Kaji-san looked helplessly around, his eyes finally landing on Mai, who just smiled sympathetically. Yasu had a new target, apparently, and Mai felt sorry for the older man.

"You can send the first person over after 15 minutes." Naru said, shaking his head at Yasu, who just smiled more.

"Oh, thank Go...I mean, thank you." With that, Kaji-san was out the door.

Everyone watched him go in amusement, and as soon as the door shut close, Bou-san burst into laughter.

"Man! The look on his face! You sure know how to ruffle them, Yasuhara!"

"Why, Bou-san, I was flirting you know! It was all to make you jealous." The bespectacled boy smirked, and slowly sauntered over to the monk, who immediately stopped laughing and backed away.

"That's not funny, Yasuhara! Back off!"

"Don't be shy, Hosho."

"That's enough. It's time to get to work."

Yasu reluctantly stopped at the boss's orders, and sighed. Then he sat on the ground again, and winked at the monk. Bou-san blushed (Mai had to stifle a giggle at that), and sat on the ground next to Ayako's chair. He was tensed, ready to jump away if Yasu tried anything. Mai couldn't blame him.

"Are you alright, Hara-san?" John-san asked the medium next to him, taking her hand in his (Mai almost squealed at this), his eyes concerned.

Masako turned a brilliant red and nodded her head. John-san smiled, and turned to look at Naru as he cleared his throat to get their attention, but did not let go of her hand.

Masako wasn't complaining.

"We will go as planned. I, Lin and Mai will stay here and conduct the interviews. Yasuhara and Bou-san will talk with the company. John, Hara-san and Matsuzaki-san will go into town, and talk to local people, try to find out anything about this place." Naru said as he sat back in his chair. "Before that, Hara-san, did you feel anything when..."

Masako nodded her head before Naru could complete his question. "She was here. And she was angry."

"She?" Mai asked.

"Yes." Masako answered, and trembled slightly. John-san noticed, and he squeezed her hand.

"But Masako, when John was...acting weird yesterday, you said the spirit wasn't there." Bou-san asked, and flinched when the medium glared at him.

"I had said John-san was not possessed. The spirit had been there, but away from us."

Bou-san mumbled an apology, and sheepishly smiled at Masako, who just huffed.

Naru nodded, and snapped his book shut.

"Let's get to work."

* * *

Mai sighed for the millionth time that day.

This was so _boring_!

After Naru had finished giving instructions, Yasu and Bou-san had left to do the work given to them (Bou-san had protested a little in the wake of Yasu's teasing, but one look from Naru, and the monk had conceded. Bou-san was more terrified of the boss than he was of Yasu). Ayako, Masako and John-san had left for the town 10 minutes later (the time it took for Ayako to 'powder' her face), but not before Mai had extracted a promise from them to bring food. Soon after, the first worker had arrived, and Naru had started the interviews.

That had been three _bloody _hours ago.

Mai wished she could have gone with 'to the town' team. No doubt they were having fun. Well, she conceded after a thought, atleast Ayako and Masako were enjoying themselves whichever way they wanted, at the expense of John-san who wouldn't know how to oppose the two women wasting time, and would reluctantly go with whatever and wherever they wanted.

Poor John-san.

But atleast _he _didn't have to make tea every two minutes.

Well, okay, two minutes was exaggerating, but still.

Naru had asked (or rather ordered) her to make tea when the first worker arrived for the interview. She had done so, but when she went to pour a cup for the man, Naru had given her a look. She had frowned, not understanding, and had walked away. She did not have to participate, Naru and Lin-san were conducting everything.

So she had sat on the couch, a cup of the tea she had made earlier in her hand, looking over the list of employees Naru had given her. She had to tick their names off as they exited after the interview, as well as take their contact information.

She was about to take a sip, when the cup was taken from her hands. Her eyes snapped up to look at her boss, who was standing over her, the cup in his hands, smirking. She glanced behind him to see Lin-san questioning the employee, and frowned up at the narcissist.

"Naru? What are you doing?"

"What does it look like, Mai? Since you did not make any tea for me, I am taking yours." Her boss replied, and took a small sip from the cup.

Mai glared at the action, angry at having her tea taken away, "You did not ask for any."

"Of course I did. Did I not tell you to get some tea?"

"And I did. Did I not give the worker tea?"

"I had not asked you to get _him_ tea. I was telling you to get tea for _me._"

Mai frowned, unable to say anything for a while, but as Naru took another sip of her tea, she glared again, "You should have specified."

"You should have understood. Have I ever before asked you to make tea for anyone else?"

He did have a point, she conceded, but that did not excuse him from taking _her_ tea.

"Well you could have just told me to get a cup for you!"

"I don't like repeating myself."

"Naru..."

"And now that you have started the tradition, you will get tea for all the employees when they come here for the interview, in addition to giving me and Lin a cup every time. That should keep you busy enough."

"What! No way am I..."

"Defying the boss, are we?" Naru smirked at her again, and took another sip from the cup.

Mai had seen red. The nerve of this guy! In all honesty, perhaps it had been an oversight on her part not to get the narcissist his precious tea, but he could just politely ask her to get him a cup, and not be a jerk about it. And now, he had told her she had to repeat the process every time a new interview started.

She was itching to punch him. But gritted her teeth against the overwhelming feeling.

He would most probably cut her pay and send her packing if she acted out. Not to mention, if she did anything in front of an outsider, she wouldn't get off with just a glare. The SPR members sympathised with her situation, but a third party may not understand why she _needed_ to hit her boss.

So she had stiffly nodded, "As you wish, _sir_."

The sarcasm wasn't lost on Naru, but he had just smirked, and walked back to the interview.

So, for the last three hours, all she had been doing was making tea.

She snuck a glance at Naru, as he was in the process of asking the 15th employee some questions. He looked serious, a troubled look over his face, his shoulders tense. It seems the long interviews were getting to him as well. She looked down at the list and sighed. They had 20 more workers to go.

And it was way past lunch time.

As if in agreement, her stomach rumbled and she blushed, hoping the men didn't hear it. She quickly got up to make tea again, this time to keep her hunger in check. Plus, it looked like Naru would be needing it soon.

Mai sighed again, this time at herself. She was so attuned to her boss's needs and moods, she always knew what to do and when. It only showed how long she had been watching him, wishing, hoping. For a long time she had kept it to herself, deciding along the way not to confess. She had been content in watching from afar, and had revelled in those few moments when the wall between them had seemed to fall away. A smile from him could make her giddy, and flush like a school girl with a crush.

Well, she had been a school girl when he had first genuinely smiled at her, but even then she had known it was not a simple crush.

She had fallen hard and fast.

Then she had confessed. And had been rejected.

Why did she keep hurting herself, thinking about it over and over again, she did not know.

Mai cursed her weakness. She knew even now he had the same effect on her. Given, she could hold her own now when it came to him and his teasing, but a smile or a simple touch, and she would be reduced to a blubbering, blushing goo in seconds.

Like what had happened this morning.

Mai flushed at the memory of his face so close to hers that if she wanted to, she could have kissed him. Them lying next to each other, relaxed, uncaring. But what had shocked her the most was the fleeting thought she had before she had screamed.

That how nice it would be to wake up next to him _every day_.

So she had shot up, and pressed away from him as far as the couch would allow. She had panicked, and flushed even more at the amused look on his face.

And when she had asked him (or atleast tried to) about the..._situation_, he had told her _she _was the one who had pulled _him _down.

Mai had been mortified.

But now that she really had the time to think about it, she realized that Naru could have easily pushed her away if she had forced him down. It was not like she was that strong. But he didn't, instead he had slept by her side all night. She was a little relived that she had not initiated anything, and a little giddy that Naru had slept next to her.

Did he like her now?

Should she allow herself to hope?

Immediately Mai squashed the idea, and shook her head. She would not, _could_ not allow herself to feel the pain again. She may understand some things when it came to him, but she wasn't so naive as to think that this meant anything. Surely, when it came to him, it was all about logic. It was logical to stay in base, since she had gone to sleep there, and she couldn't be left alone with an unknown entity on the loose. It was logical to share the couch, since he did not want to risk a back pain by sleeping in a chair through the night.

Logical, with no feelings attached.

She slowly nodded to herself as she put the water in the kettle. Naru wasn't the type to do anything without a reason. And if she believed, she would be the only one to get hurt in the end. So, she would not dwell on the morning events any longer. It was just his logical mind, and his merciless teasing.

Nothing more, nothing less.

"Excuse me, miss?"

Mai whirled around to look at the young man behind her. He was a little older than her, with sandy brown hair and emerald eyes. He was as tall as Naru, and like Naru he was good looking too. But unlike the narcissist, he had an easy smile on his face. Mai felt herself smiling back.

"How may I help you?"

"Ah, your boss told me to leave contact information with you...?" He said slowly, looking at Naru and then back at her.

Mai nodded, placed the kettle down, and went towards the coffee table, where she had placed the list, "Of course. May I have your name?"

"Mamoru Ozaku."

"Ozaku-san, if you ..."

"Please, just call me Mamoru." He cut her off, and smiled.

Mai blushed, and snuck a glance at the boss and Lin-san to make sure no one witnessed her embarrassment, and was relieved to see both men discussing something at the other end of the room.

"Well, Mamoru-kun, if you could give me your number."

"Of course..." He trailed off, and then gave her a wink, "It almost sounded like you were asking me out."

Mai flushed again, and looked at anywhere but him, "Ah... No...That...Um, we need it for..."

She stopped her stammering when he laughed.

"Please, I was just teasing, miss... I haven't asked your name."

"Mai Taniyama."

"Mai...such a pretty name. Well, I will not waste anymore of your time."

With that, he took the paper and a pen from her, and wrote down his number in front of his name.

"There." He said as he finished and straightened, handing back the items, "Is that all?"

"Yes. Thank you, Mamoru-kun."

"You're welcome, Taniyama-san."

"Just Mai, please." She said, and smiled at him.

"Alright, 'Just Mai'." He said, winking again.

She giggled at the teasing, but stopped and flushed when Mamoru took her hand and kissed it.

"It was a pleasure meeting you, Mai."

Before Mai could answer, someone cleared their throat, and both of them turned around to look at the boss, who was currently glaring at Mamoru, his jaw tensed, his demeanour hostile.

"Ozaku-san, I would appreciate it if you could restrain from harassing my employees."

Mai frowned, and glared at her boss, "Naru, Mamoru-kun was only giving me his contact information."

"Mamoru-kun?" Naru asked slowly, and glanced at their still joined hands, "I did not know you had become so familiar with each other."

Mai flushed and hastily took her hand back. Mamoru looked at her, then Naru, then at her again, and smirked.

"Well, we just met, Shibuya-san. And I guess we hit it off. Anyways, my work here is done. So, I will take my leave now."

He winked at Mai for the last time, before walking out of the base.

Tense silence followed, with Naru staring at Mai, and the girl avoiding his gaze. It was only broken when the base door opened again, and the next worker entered.

Mai sighed in relief as Naru turned away, but gulped when he stopped for a moment.

"We will talk about this." And he walked away.

For some reason, Mai felt like running.

* * *

It was almost evening when the other teams returned.

Yasu and Bou-san entered a little while after the last employee had been interviewed. After the incident with Mamoru-kun, Naru had increased the pace of the interviews, finishing in about half the time. And all throughout, he had been tense, not relaxing even after Mai gave him tea. He would not meet her eye, and in a roundabout way it made Mai feel a little bit guilty about what had happened. Even though it was not her fault (maybe), it was just how he refused to look at her that made her feel like screaming in frustration.

And here she had thought things like these wouldn't affect her anymore.

When he had said that they would talk about the incident, Mai had been a little wary. But now, she wanted him to bring it up so that she could confront him about his (in her opinion) childish behaviour, and demand an explanation for the same. She would atleast like to know where she had made the mistake, before she drowned in the feelings of guilt and self-pity.

But the timing sucked big time.

She had thought he would corner her after the interviews, but there hadn't been such an opportunity. Yasu and Bou-san had brought back information, and they looked sombre. And she had been effectively distracted.

"You are not going to like this, Naru-bou."

"What have you found, Bou-san?"

Before the monk could go into any explanations, the base door opened again, and 'to the town' team entered, looking as much refreshed as Mai felt frustrated.

"Ah! You all are here!" Ayako said, and slumped into the couch next to Mai, "Man, walking around is sooo tiring."

"Maybe if you didn't wear heels." Mai said in a snipped tone, peeved that they had taken their own sweet time in getting here, depriving her of her lunch, and to an extent sanity. After all, staying alone with Naru and Lin-san for such a long time, without anyone or anything to make the situation even slightly bearable, took a heavy toll on her.

Ayako raised an eyebrow at her and smirked, but didn't say anything. Masako sat beside Ayako and looked at Mai, her eyes apologetic.

"Sorry Mai, we lost track of time. But we brought snacks and chocolates." The medium then gestured to the plastic bags that John-san was holding.

Mai clapped her hands at the mention of chocolates, and the priest smiled, handing her one of the bags, before sitting down on the ground in front of the medium.

But before Mai could dig into the horde, Naru cleared his throat, and glared at her when she looked up, "It's almost dinner time, Mai. You will ruin your appetite."

"But Naru, we didn't even have any lunch!"

"You have had enough tea."

"Not by choice..."

Before she could finish, Naru turned away from her and addressed Yasu and Bou-san, "What have you both found?"

Mai gritted her teeth, but dropped the bag on the coffee table and sat back, her arms crossed, and Yasu began to relate the information.

"I called the Yazami Company. They said they had brought the property through a realtor. I took his number and called him too, and he said the property was sold anonymously."

"Anonymously?" Ayako asked, sitting up a little, "Is that even possible?"

"Apparently, in this case it is." Bou-san answered, "The company the realtor works for had agreed on the request by the seller to remain anonymous. Of course, they do have the information on this person, but without plausible cause we cannot demand it. We would have to involve the police, and I don't think anyone of us would agree to that. Nor would Kaji-san. And the police would just laugh at us."

The others nodded in agreement, before Yasuhara continued, "I asked the realtor if he knew about the history of this place, and he said he didn't know anything. He had only handled the transaction. I asked him if his company would tell us, and he said they wouldn't. They like to keep away from 'shady businesses'."

Mai rolled her eyes at the corporate slander. Really, selling a property anonymously sounded more 'shady' than ghost hunting!

Naru nodded, looking irritated. And Mai could understand. At every point, the case had proved a dead end. And they were not making any progress. Plus the fact that there was a ghost out there, ready to hunt and hurt, made any information all the more urgent and necessary.

"And have you found anything in the town? Or did you just waste time roaming around?" Naru asked addressing the miko, the medium and the priest.

Mai giggled at the look of outrage on Ayako's face, before covering it with a cough when the miko turned to glare at her.

"Of course we asked around! We didn't just do nothing, you know!" Ayako shouted, then huffed and looked away. "But, even we didn't have much luck."

"How so?"

Masako answered him, "We asked the shopkeepers and inn-keepers if they knew anything about this place, but none seemed to know anything from before the mall was built. We even went to some houses where there was an elder person residing, but they didn't remember anything particular about the place. However, one of them did say she vaguely remembered a house being here, but could not recall anything about the owner."

Naru nodded again and sighed, massaging his temple. They were getting nowhere.

Mai was about to suggest tea, when Naru looked at John-san, "Since we have nothing to go on, I suggest we proceed with the hypnotism. If you feel up to it."

John-san nodded, his eyes determined. He slightly squeezed the concerned hand Masako had placed on his shoulder, and smiled a little at her.

Mai hoped everything would go right.

* * *

"Focus on the light...Breathe with the it...Slowly relax..."

Mai turned away from the hypnotising light to look at the occupants of the room. Naru was focussed on the task at hand, and John-san was beginning to look drowsy. Masako had a sleeved hand covering her concerned face, and Ayako was next to her, staring at the light. Lin-san stood near the door in case anyone entered (human or otherwise), and Bou-san and Yasu were leaning against the wall near the light switch. Both looked tense.

"You feel sleepy...count your breaths in your mind..."

Mai rubbed her eyes to keep awake. Naru's sombre voice was affecting her as well. She focussed instead on John-san, whose eyes had closed, and shoulders slumped.

"Slowly go back in time...go back to what happened yesterday morning...Don't fight it...Let it come."

Everyone straightened a little, in anticipation of what would happen. Naru had never done anything like this before, trying to bring back lost memories. Although they knew the genius had confidence in his abilities, the unknown factor associated with the experiment had everyone on their toes.

Mai jumped when John-san suddenly stood up, his hazy eyes wide open. Bou-san shifted closer to him, ready to intervene if anything went wrong.

Tense moments passed, and everyone waited with baited breath for a reaction from the priest. Slowly, John-san relaxed, and his eyes cleared. He sighed, then looked at Naru and nodded. Everyone let out a breath of relief, and Yasu switched on the light.

"John, do you remember?" Naru asked, slowly moving to his chair and sitting down, while Lin-san sat at a nearby table, ready to type.

The priest nodded slowly, a sad smile on his face, "Yes. And I remember what I did."

"John-san! Please don't dwell on it! It was not your fault." Masako grasped his arm, making him at her.

"Yeah man! We all know it wasn't you." Bou-san said, patting the priest on the head.

John-san nodded slowly before answering, "I know."

"Explain then, John." Naru said.

John-san sighed before taking a seat on the nearby chair.

"I remember walking into the building. I was looking around for anyone who could guide me here. That's when...I saw her." He hesitated a little, the memory still causing him pain, but straightened after a moment, "I thought she was a worker. I called out to her, but she did not answer. Everything was alright...until she raised her head and I looked into her eyes. They were the colour of the brightest red."

Masako gasped, and Bou-san frowned, "That was the colour of your eyes when we found you."

"I don't know how, but after that, it was like I was no longer in control of my body. I followed her as she commanded. I knew what was happening, how something was wrong, but I could do nothing. Even when...even when she told me to...to kill Hara-san..." John-san trailed off, and he covered his eyes.

Masako slowly rubbed his shoulder, trying to comfort him, "It's alright John-san. It's all in the past. You did not harm me."

Mai looked at the couple, and smiled sadly. It was so unfair to them. It was clear that both had feelings for each other, but after what had happened and the guilt John-san was feeling, it had become even more difficult now for them to confess and get together.

"And when Bou-san chanted, you got back control over your body." Naru said, and sighed when the priest nodded in confirmation.

"Noll, this could get dangerous." Lin-san said, frowning, as he slowly closed his laptop, "We have to be cautious."

Naru nodded, "We will at all times remain in teams. Nobody goes anywhere alone."

Everyone nodded.

Yasu suddenly jumped up, "John-san, tell us how she looks. That way, if she comes along, we would know to avoid her."

Mai cocked her head, impressed at the bespectacled boy's logic, but frowned when John-san suddenly stood up and pointed a trembling finger towards the base door.

"She...she looks like that!"

Everyone whirled around to look in the direction, and froze when they saw a woman in the doorway. Long black hair, midnight blue dress. Her head was down, hair covering her eyes.

Mai gasped when she realized it was the girl from her dreams, but felt a shiver down her spine when the woman chuckled darkly.

And before anyone could react, the spirit slowly raised her head.

All Mai could do was stare at the beautiful red eyes.

* * *

**Again, a cliffie!**

**I am having soooooo much fun! **

**But don't hate me! It's just to build anticipation, you know.**

**Reviews are welcome! And hope you enjoyed it.**

**Until next time.**

**Ciao!**


	8. Confrontation

**AN: Alright People! I am here with another chapter!**

**Thank you all for the reviews.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Confrontation**

* * *

**May 27, Day 2**

If Oliver had been asked a few years back what terrified him the most, he would have scoffed at the insinuation that anything could scare him. But at this moment, looking at Mai slowly walk towards the spirit as if in a trance, terrified him so much that he stopped thinking altogether.

What affected him the most were Mai's brilliant red eyes.

His breath hitched, and he helplessly watched. He vaguely heard the commotion around him; Bou-san chanting, Lin whistling for his shiki, John praying, Matsuzaki-san, Hara-san and Yasuhara calling out to Mai to stop, but he said nothing. His eyes were trained on Mai, willing himself to overcome the terror and _act_.

As the shiki surrounded the spirit, the woman screamed once before disappearing.

His body moved into action as Mai suddenly stopped, swayed and started falling. He caught her before she could hit the ground, and picked her up. He still spoke nothing, not trusting his voice to come out straight, and placed her gently on the couch. Checking her pulse, Oliver sighed in relief. He continued to sit by her side, holding her hand, waiting for her to wake up. He did not budge even when the others surrounded the couch, and Matsuzaki-san slightly nudged him to give her space to check up on Mai. The miko eventually huffed and walked around the couch to stand with Bou-san, as the monk looked down at the girl in concern.

Lin put a reassuring hand on his shoulder, but did not comment.

"Was that the spirit who attacked you, John-san?" Yasuhara asked from his right.

"Yes." John answered, "That was her. Although, I don't know why Mai-san was attacked this time."

"Isn't it obvious? It's because Mai is our little trouble-maker!" Bou-san said, laughing half-heartedly, his laugh trailing off into silence when nobody responded.

"Stupid monk!" The miko muttered, her eyes trained on Mai. For once, Bou-san did not argue back.

"Will she be alright?" Hara-san asked softly, her voice cracked a little at the end.

"She seems to be okay. But I can't say anything definitely until Naru here lets me examine her!" Matsuzaki-san half-screamed in frustration, jerking a thumb at Oliver.

"Noll?"

Oliver slowly looked at Lin over his shoulder, nodding at his questioning look, conveying that he was alright. He then looked at Hara-san, and responded to her earlier question, "She is fine. Just unconscious."

It was the first time he spoke since the incident, and his team looked at him in concern and understanding.

"Bou-san, how strong did you perceive her to be?"

The monk looked at Oliver in confusion, before his eyes cleared in realization, "The spirit woman was pretty strong. You saw it too, it took the three of us to get rid of her!"

Oliver nodded, "Hara-san?"

"Yes, she is strong. She has been here for a long time. And all I can feel from her is malice and hatred."

"Can you feel her right now?" Yasuhara asked, and sighed when the medium shook her head.

No one spoke after that, each lost in their own thoughts. Mai was an integral part of their team, and their lives. And whenever something happened to her, they would suddenly turn into the sombre group they were right now. Even when it happened almost on every case, the thought that Mai would be in danger didn't sit well with them. The girl was the epitome of happiness and life, so seeing her lying on the couch unconscious made the others uncomfortable and concerned.

A moan snapped the team out of their reverie.

Oliver looked at Mai, relief flooding him when she raised a hand to rub her eyes, and hoping that the red from them would be gone. He sat up a little, squeezing the hand he still held.

Mai rubbed her eyes, and opened them. She frowned up at the faces looking down at her, and looked at the hand holding hers. She traced the hand back to the owner and blushed, looking away from the boss's intense gaze. She sat up a little, supporting herself on her elbows (but making no move to remove her hand from Oliver's).

"What's going on?" She asked, looking at one face to another, suddenly worried at the concerned gazes, "What happened?"

"Mai! You are awake!" Bou-san exclaimed in a loud voice, which made the girl flinch. Matsuzaki-san glowered at the monk, but he ignored her, instead choosing to ruffle Mai's hair and grin broadly.

"Bou-san! Stop that!" Mai said, pushing his hands away.

"Are you feeling alright Mai? Any pain?" Matsuzaki-san asked, nudging the monk away and placing a hand on the girl's forehead.

"Yes, Ayako. I am fine...But what happened?"

"You don't remember?" Oliver asked, frowning.

Mai hesitantly turned towards him, "No. Why?" Her eyes widened in panic, "Is everything alright? What...?"

"Calm down." Oliver said, squeezing her hand again, which immediately settled her. Oliver wanted to smirk at that, but instead opted to explain the situation to her, "The spirit attacked again, and this time her target was you."

Mai scrunched her eyebrows trying to remember, but sighed when nothing came up, "I don't remember anything."

"What is the last thing you do remember?"

"John-san telling us about what happened to him, and then...nothing."

Oliver nodded, "The same happened with John, so we can conclude it is because of the possession, and not because of the emotional effect."

"Not possession." Hara-san muttered, looking away when Oliver glanced at her.

"Not possession. Then something we have yet to find out." He conceded.

"Did I...hurt anyone?" Mai asked in a small voice, turning apologetic eyes to the priest when he flinched.

"No." Yasuhara answered her, "You just walked towards her, like a zombie. And your eyes were red! You scared me sooo much, Mai! I thought you were going to go on a killing spree!"

Mai glowered at the boy, "You would have been my first target, Yasu!"

The bespectacled boy just grinned. But then suddenly turned solemn, "I mean, the boss looked like he was gonna faint!"

Bou-san laughed at that, while Mai blushed. Oliver glared at the boy, but before he could say anything back, the Yasuhara pointed to his and Mai's entwined hands, "_That _is the proof of how much he was worried. He is still not letting go, see?"

Mai flushed deeper, before hastily pulling her hand away from Oliver's.

"Oh? Naru-bou, you were that worried huh?" Bou-san asked, winking at him.

"Of course I was." Oliver answered, getting up from his kneeling position and dusting himself off.

His answer was met by stunned silence. Bou-san frozen in mid wink, Mai looked at him wide eyed, and the others just stared. Oliver raised his eyebrow at them, before shaking his head, "It's late now. Lin and I will take the first shift. Bou-san and Yasuhara can start after 3 hours. Matsuzaki-san and Hara-san can follow."

When nobody moved, he sighed, before giving his final warning, "Unless you all wish to work some more."

That got the team moving. Bou-san and Yasuhara hastily escaped from the base, keen on catching as much sleep as they could.

"I will walk you to your room, Hara-san." John said smiling, and offering a hand to the medium, who took it. They too walked out of the room.

"Let's go Mai. Nobody is supposed to go anywhere alone, especially you." Matsuzaki-san said, walking to the door. Mai nodded, and got up from the couch to follow her.

"Mai." Oliver called to her. The girl stopped but did not turn around. He did not mind, instead he smirked at her still red ears, "Are you sure you are alright?"

The girl nodded, and slightly turned to look at him, a slight smile on her face, "I am fine Naru."

Oliver nodded and smirked at her, "Don't worry me like that again."

That made Mai turn around fully, blushing and staring at him wide eyed, "Wha..."

But Oliver had already turned his back to her, looking at the monitors. He heard her incomplete question, but opted not to answer her. He heard her hesitate, before walking away to the smirking miko. He sighed when he heard the door shut close.

"Have you finally decided to make your move?" Lin asked him, a slight smirk on his face.

Oliver looked at him steadily, before nodding, "I am tired of waiting."

"We all could say the same."

Oliver glared at him, but did not comment.

* * *

**May 28, Day 3**

_Mai sighed as she looked around her dream world. There was a kind of glow to the usually dark space, and she wondered if her dream environment reflected her mood._

_She had gone to bed a little confused, but much more pleased. She had felt giddy with happiness._

_And again, it was all because of a certain narcissist._

_The way he had behaved with her had left her a little hopeful, despite her best efforts to quash the unreasonable feeling. Even after going through the anguish and pain, she was still ready to risk her heart again._

_Was she a masochist? Or just that much in love with Naru?_

_She shook her head. This was not the time. She would think about this after the case. Right now, she had work to do._

_Like figuring out what the hell was going on with this case!_

_Every research they had conducted had lead them to dead ends. Her dreams were now the only source of any information. So she had to concentrate._

_Mai looked around, searching for her dream guide. But he was a no-show. Perhaps he wanted her to initiate the vision, like she did last time. For 'training' purposes. _

_She scowled, the brothers were very similar when it came to such things. But she knew Gene was right, she couldn't always depend on him. She had done that the last time, and he had left her hanging._

_Both the brothers had left her hanging, yet she still went back to them._

_She really was a masochist._

_Maybe Gene wasn't much at fault, seeing as he was dead and all, and he had no choice but to leave her. But Naru..._

_Mai forcibly pushed the thought away. If she went down that road, there would be no end to it._

_She looked around again, trying to visualize the house she had seen last time. When it did not work, she let out a frustrated sigh. Now what was she supposed to do?_

_Her mind went to the two girls she had seen, Sumire and Mariko. They had been talking about doing something, and from the way they had been talking, it would probably get them in trouble. And Mai was now curious as to what that was._

_The air suddenly shifted, and the near darkness disappeared as trees surrounded her. There was a lazy breeze blowing, and the sun was low in the sky. It was evening. The house was not visible, nor was the burned down mall. She could make out the top of a building a little further away, but it was not the mall. She frowned at the unfamiliar place, wondering what she was doing here._

"_Mari-chan! Wait!"_

_Mai whirled around at the voice, and saw the two girls she had seen last time coming towards her. Mariko was walking briskly, dragging Sumire behind her by her hand. Both the girls were in uniforms, and Mai concluded they were probably on school premises. Maybe that's why she didn't recognize the place._

_Mai looked closely at Sumire, and she felt a pull in her mind. She felt like she had seen the girl somewhere other than the visions, but could not put a finger on where. She let it go, deciding to mull it over later._

"_Sumi-chan! You promised. Now no going back!"_

"_But..."_

_Mariko suddenly stopped, and turned around, "Please Sumi-chan. Please do this for me! Don't you want to see me happy?"_

_Sumire hesitantly nodded, and looked down. _

"_And after this, I will help you with Akihito-kun!"_

_Sumire's head whipped up, and her friend giggled at the red face. _

"_Mari-chan! How did you..."_

"_Oh Sumi! It's so obvious!"_

_Both the girls giggled, and Mai smiled at their innocence. The girls were normal teenagers, with crushes and first loves. She looked away wistfully, remembering her own first love, and the pain it brought._

"_Ah! Sumi, there he is. Wait here!" Mariko suddenly said, looking beyond where Mai was standing. Sumire nodded, her eyes still uncertain. _

_Mai's eyes followed Mariko as she ran towards a boy, who was wearing the same uniform as the girls. Mariko glowed and smiled broadly, but the boy looked bored._

"_Yusuke-kun, thank you for coming!" Mariko said, and giggled before linking her arm with his. _

"_Susume-san. What is it?" The boy asked, pulling away his arm from her grasp. He was good looking, and he had a deep voice. Mai could imagine hundreds of girls swooning at a mere word from him, and she would have too is she wasn't already smitten with the narcissist._

_Mariko frowned, "Yusuke-kun! I have told you to call me by my name!"_

_Yusuke ignored her. So, Mariko just giggled before pulling him to where Sumire was waiting._

"_Yusuke-kun, this is my friend Sumire."_

"_So?" Yusuke asked, glancing at Sumire before looking back to the way he came, "If that is all you wanted to say, I will be going. My friends are waiting."_

"_Wait! I...Sumi can do an awesome trick! I want you to see!"_

_Yusuke yawned, and pulled his arm away from Mariko again, "I don't wanna see any tricks."_

"_Please! Just this once. If you don't like it, I promise I will never trouble you again."_

_Yusuke stared at her, trying to figure out if she was being honest, before he hesitantly nodded._

_Mariko clapped her hands, "Thank you!"_

"_Just hurry up!" Yusuke snapped, and Sumire flinched at his tone. Mai felt sorry for the girl, but rolled her eyes at the flirty grin on Mariko's face._

"_Okay! All you have to do, Yusuke-kun, is look into her eyes."_

_Mai raised her eyebrow at that. What was Mariko thinking? Make her crush look into another girl's eyes? What was she trying to pull?_

_Yusuke seemed to have similar thoughts, as he narrowed her eyes at Mariko, "What?"_

"_Come on Yusuke-kun! Pretty please!" Mariko said in a cutesy voice, but it was lost on Yusuke who just scowled at her attempt to sound adorable. Even Mai thought it was exaggerated._

_Yusuke sighed, before turning to look at Sumire. The girl gulped, which made him smirk. Mai made a face at him, he was the arrogant type who loved getting attention. She didn't understand why Mariko would fall for a guy like him._

_But then again, Mai was in love with an arrogant narcissist._

_She was such a hypocrite._

"_Is that all I have to do?" Yusuke asked, smirking at Sumire, who looked away. _

'_Yes! Oh come on Sumi! Raise your eyes!"_

_Sumire slowly looked up, her burgundy eyes steady as she looked into Yusuke's eyes. A moment of silence passed before his smirk dropped and his eyes glazed over. His shoulders slumped, and Mariko took his arm to hold him steady. Mai panicked at the turn of events, but Mariko's smile confused her._

"_Sumi-chan, say it."_

_Sumire didn't take her eyes off Yusuke's, and slightly nodded. "Yusuke-kun, you are in love with Mariko. You want to be with her." She said mechanically, as if reading off a script. _

_Mai's eyes widened, trying to make sense of what was going on. But before she could think any further, Sumire looked away, and Yusuke's eyes cleared. He blinked, looking around in a daze, frowning slightly when his eyes fell on Sumire, but then smiling when he looked at Mariko._

"_Mariko! There you are. I feel like I have not seen you for so long!" He said, softly caressing her cheek._

_Mariko giggled, "I didn't go anywhere, Yusuke-kun."_

"_Let's go, I will walk you home. Maybe we can go on a date today?"_

_Mariko nodded, and closed her eyes as Yusuke leaned in to kiss her softly on the lips. She smiled as he pulled away._

"_Of course! But first, maybe you should tell your friends you will be leaving." She said, pointing to the way he had come._

"_My friends...?" Yusuke looked to where she was pointing, confused, before he slowly nodded, "Yeah..."_

_Mariko giggled again. "I will wait for you at the entrance", she said before kissing him on the cheek. That brought Yusuke back from his thoughts, and he smiled at her._

"_I love you, Mari."_

"_I love you too, Yusuke-kun."_

_Yusuke then slowly trudged away, as if still dazed._

_Mai just stood there, her mouth wide open, still trying to make sense of all this._

_What. Just. Happened?_

"_That was great, Sumi!" Mariko yelled, jumping up and down, and laughing, "I am soooo happy!"_

_Sumire smiled at her friend, "I am happy for you Mari-chan! But..."_

"_No buts Sumi-chan! Now remember, you will never tell about this to anyone. No one can know you were responsible for this!"_

_Sumire nodded, and smiled as Mariko took her hand and started walking back the way they came._

_Mai still could not move as the vision ended, but just stood there in shock._

_She gasped and whirled around when she felt a tap on her shoulder, and looked at Gene's smiling face with a frown._

"_Gene, what... What the hell was that?"_

_The boy winced at her loud tone, "Calm down, Mai. Take deep breaths."_

"_No! That was...I mean..." _

_Gene suddenly held her by her shoulders, and looked directly at her, "Calm down."_

_Mai stopped her ranting, staring at him, before slowly nodding. Gene sighed as he let her go, but then smiled at her, "Well done, Mai. You did good."_

_Mai smiled slightly at the praise, her mind still on the events. _

_When she did not speak, Gene shook his head and sat down, patting the space next to him, asking her to join him. Mai looked at him for a moment, before sitting down._

_Gene looked around the dream space, which had darkened again, "The atmosphere here has changed. It was lighter earlier."_

_Mai glanced around, "I have a feeling it somehow represents my emotions."_

"_Oh, it does. Did you not know that?" Gene asked, raising an eyebrow, and smirking at Mai's glare._

"_No. No one told me." She huffed._

"_You were happy earlier." Gene continued, as he raised his knees to his chest, and rested his arms on them._

"_Yes." Mai blushed, "But I am not telling you."_

"_I already know." He said, and smiled at her unbelievable look, "I know everything that goes around. I am a spirit, you know. I can walk the living world."_

_Mai nodded, but frowned at him, "How come Masako never noticed you?"_

"_Perhaps she chose not to comment."_

_Mai stared ahead, before she said in a low tone, "Then she knows you are back."_

"_Perhaps." Gene said, and looked at her slightly worried face, "I am guessing my brother still doesn't know."_

_Mai turned her guilty eyes to him, "I just didn't know how to tell him. After all that happened..." She trailed off, and looked away._

_Gene sighed, "He still loves you."_

"_He never loved me."_

"_You are wrong. He..."_

"_Gene. Enough. I don't want to talk about him." She snapped, glowering at him, her lips set in a hard line. When would everyone just stop suggesting that Naru liked her? He had made it crystal clear what he felt for her the last time she had been a fool enough to confess. He would rather have her suffer in guilt and regret than have anything to do with her feelings himself. The arrogant, selfish jerk just loved tormenting her, making her life a living hell. And even now she was sure that he was doing all this just to make her uncomfortable and keep her on her toes. He was merely teasing her, and the reactions she involuntarily gave appealed to his sadistic streak._

"_Don't be so pessimistic, Mai." Gene said, as if knowing where her thoughts had gone._

"_What happened to Yusuke?" Mai asked, ignoring his words and changing the topic._

_Gene shook his head at her, but answered nonetheless, "The girl, Sumire, hypnotised him."_

_Mai gasped and looked at him wide eyed, "What? But, I have seen hypnotism..."_

_Gene shook his head, "It has different forms, and methods. This was just one of them. Although, I suspect she also has some PK-LT." _

_Mai did not say anything for a while, trying to gather her thoughts. If Sumire really had hypnotised Yusuke, just with her eyes, then things were going to get complicated for them. She only hoped there was a way that the effects could be reversed._

"_It's time to go back." Gene said suddenly, looking forward, "It's better if you tell Noll about the dream. He will explain what all this is better."_

_Mai nodded, before she stood up. She smiled down at him as he continued sitting, "Sorry, for snapping earlier."_

_He waved off her apology, smiling up at her, "It's alright, Mai. And it will be alright."_

_Mai looked at him solemnly, smiling softly at his optimistic tone, before turning around and closing her eyes._

_The last thing she heard was Gene's soft chuckle._

* * *

Oliver looked at his watch.

It had been a little over two hours since the others had gone to bed. There had been no activity since what had happened with Mai, and things had been mundane. Though he did not feel tired yet, Oliver willed the minutes to pass quickly so that he could hand the base over to Bou-san and Yasuhara, and he himself could go to his allotted room to get some reading done.

And gather his thoughts.

He had to come up with a game plan to woo Mai. Not that he had any semblance of an idea on where to even begin, but he figured if he thought about it enough, he would come up with the perfect solution.

After all, he was the genius Oliver Davis.

Oliver smirked at himself, pleased at his decision. He looked over at Lin, only to find the older man typing into his laptop. Even Lin didn't look tired, and Oliver wondered where the man got his stamina.

The base door opened, and Oliver looked towards it, wondering if Bou-san and Yasuhara had decided to come early. He was slightly surprised, but then was pleased to see Mai entering, more awake than she had been when she had come in yesterday with her dream.

Oliver smirked at her when she looked at him, but she merely blushed and looked away.

"I had a dream." She said, still not looking at him, and sat down on the couch. Oliver followed, and instead of taking a chair, he sat down right next to her. Mai jumped a little when she felt the couch dip, but still kept her head turned away. Oliver smirked and leaned back.

"Go ahead Mai."

But before Mai could start, Lin got up from his place and approached them, "Noll, since you have company now, I will go to bed." He smirked at Oliver.

Oliver got the message, and nodded at him.

"It's okay, Lin-san. You can stay!" Mai said somewhat desperately, and Oliver rolled his eyes at her attempt to keep Lin there, just so she would not have to be alone with her boss.

But Lin was adamant, "I feel tired, Mai." He even yawned to add to the effect and appear spent. Oliver silently applauded him for his acting skills as the girl took the bait, and conceded.

"Oh...Good Night then, Lin-san."

"Good Night Mai." The older man responded back, and nodding one last time at Oliver, he walked out of the base.

"Should he go alone? I mean..." Mai asked him, looking to the door that had just shut close.

"Lin has his shiki with him." He answered, choosing not to mention that Lin had probably left one of his shiki with them for protection.

Mai only nodded, and still refused to look at him. So Oliver took the initiative. He caught her chin in his hand and turned her face so that she was looking at him.

Mai's eyes had gone wide, but he merely smirked, "The dream."

He took his hand away as she nodded, and sat back again to listen to her narrative.

He scowled when she told him about how the Sumire girl had affected the boy. If she did have such powers to control someone merely by locking eyes with them, and if she was their ghost (which he suspected as much from the description of the girl Mai had given), then that would explain what happened with John and Mai.

But the spirit had been violent, full of hatred. And Mai described Sumire as a kind, soft person, who passively followed whatever her friend told her to.

What could have happened to make her turn to what she was today?

"And then I woke up." Mai said as she finished telling the dream, and looked at him expectantly.

Oliver nodded, "That would explain a lot. And I believe she is our spirit." He then turned towards her, "Do you still not remember what happened yesterday?"

Mai shook her head, "No." She paused, as she thought about something, "Also, I felt funny when I looked at Sumire. Like I had some sort of interaction with her. And I was wary of looking at her."

"That is possibly your instincts. After all, you had seen her yesterday when she attacked. You may not remember, but your instincts know to stay away from her."

Mai nodded, accepting his explanation, "And about what she did, her powers? I think it was a type of hypnotism. And perhaps some PK-LT."

Oliver raised an eyebrow at her accurate insight, "Well done, Mai. That was a sound conclusion."

Mai scowled at his slightly surprised tone, and blurted out without thinking, "It wasn't me. It was..." She cut herself off suddenly, realizing what she was about to say, but the damage was done.

Oliver frowned, and sat up, "What?"

Mai looked down, cursing herself and her big mouth. She did not answer for a while, but she knew he wasn't going to back off. So she sighed, and prepared herself for whatever was to come, "It was Gene. He is back."

Oliver felt as if he was punched hard in the gut when he heard her softly muttered words. He could not speak for a while, trying to decide whether to be happy that Gene was back, or to be frustrated that his rival had returned. Just when he had been getting ready to make his move, this had to happen.

What was he supposed to do now? Was he supposed to give up and move on, or fight his own brother, who was dead?

Mai looked at him when he did not respond, "Naru? You alright?"

Oliver stirred slightly, and blinked. He looked away, and just nodded. He got up from the couch, "If that's all, you can go back to sleep."

Mai scowled, and hastily got up to grab his arm. She then turned him around, but he kept his face away from her. She felt angry at his lack of response. Why wouldn't he say anything? Wasn't Gene his brother, his twin?

"Naru, look at me." She demanded, gritting her teeth when he refused to listen to her.

Oliver couldn't bring himself to face her, knowing the pain was there clearly written on his face. For the first time in his life, he felt he could not control his emotions. They were threatening to engulf him, and he didn't know what to do.

"Do you hate him Naru? Is that why you won't answer me?" Mai asked him, her tone low, and he knew she was about to cry.

He merely pulled his hand out of her grasp, and turned away again, "Why should you care Mai? He is back for you, you should be happy. Leave me alone." He could not stop the words that escaped.

"How dare you, you jerk!" Mai screamed, hitting him in the back with her fist.

Oliver whipped around, shocked at her outburst. She was crying now.

"How dare you! Even after all this time..." She trailed off as a sob engulfed her.

Oliver frowned and took a step towards her, "Mai, calm down. What...?"

But she merely hit him again, "Shut up! Even after all this time, you still have the audacity to assume such things!"

"Mai, what are you talking about?"

"Don't act ignorant Naru! You suddenly start acting detached as soon as you hear his name. Do you think I am that naive? You feel guilty, don't you?"

Oliver hesitated, before his face convulsed in pain, "I feel guilty about a lot of things when it comes to him, Mai."

Mai paused at his anguished tone, looking at his painful expression, but her anger returned when she realised how he refused to say Gene's name, "You should. Just because you didn't have the guts to reject me properly, you insinuated that I had feelings for Gene. Just because you didn't want the hassle, you went ahead and disrespected my feelings!"

Oliver frowned again, and glared at her when he realized to what she was referring, "I only said it because it was the truth."

"Again? You still want to stick to it?" She half screamed, furiously rubbing off her tears in an effort to not look weak in front of the narcissist.

"Mai..."

"I love _you_ Naru! Why do you still refuse to acknowledge that?"

Oliver froze at her confession, trying to put up with the onslaught of emotions that came along with her words.

"Why Naru? Why..." She asked again, her voice trailing off as the tears came back. When he did not answer, she shook her head, and looked away, "Atleast reject me properly, so that I could move on."

That snapped his attention back to her, "Reject you? Why..."

"You don't feel the same. I understand. But atleast be a man enough to decline me properly, and not just make stupid assumptions about me being in love with your dead brother!"

"I don't assume, Mai. I know." He said, his tone cold. Was she still confused about her feelings? How much did she want him to suffer before she was satisfied?

Mai glared at him, "If I loved him, I would have told him. I wouldn't have confessed to you, you moron!"

Oliver let out a slow breath, trying to prevent himself from feeding the hope that had sprung up, "Why would you love me, Mai? Have I ever been kind to you? Have I ever smiled at you? No, all that had been Gene. So, why would I not conclude you loved him, not me?"

Mai took a deep breath, before slowly answering him, "I fell in love with you before Gene appeared in my dreams. I fell in love with your narcissism, your smart-ass attitude, and your addiction to tea. Even when Gene came to me dressed like you, I somehow knew it wasn't you. I love Gene, but only as a friend and brother. I am in love with you, even after all this time, even after your harsh words." She finished, and massaged her forehead as she turned around, "But it doesn't matter anymore. I know your answer. Don't worry, you won't have any trouble from me. I won't bring this up again. I will get over it and move on." She said, and started walking towards the base door when he did not respond.

Oliver stood stunned for a moment, basking in the happiness her confession had bought. He felt relieved suddenly, as if a burden had been lifted from his shoulders. But he came down from his high when his mind registered her last uttered words.

She was not going to get away this time. Not a chance.

Oliver moved forward, grabbing her arm and turning her around. And before she could react, his lips were on hers.

* * *

**Hmmm... Does this count as a cliffy? I dunno...**

**Oh, they finally kissed! Took them long enough, no?**

**Now to the serious matters...**

**IMPORTANT: I will not be able to update for some time. The next chapter will only come out after 16****th**** May. **

**Reason? I have exams, and if I don't do well, bye-bye Laptop (curtsey of my mom)!**

**Sorry for this, but I promise to update as soon as the exams are over and done with!**

**Thank you all lovely people for being my support till now! This is not a good bye, so don't worry!**

**Hope you liked this chappie! Please review...**

**Ciao!**


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